se. Under the influence of these, the man went out from her
presence, flattered to his heart's core, and with his admiration of her
self-contained and prudent passion more exalted than ever.

Mr. Belcher went directly home, and into Mrs. Belcher's room. That good
lady was alone, quietly reading. The children had retired, and she was
spending her time after her custom.

"Well, Sarah, what sort of a Christmas have you had?"

Mrs. Belcher bit her lip, for there was something in her husband's tone
which conveyed the impression that he was preparing to wheedle her into
some scheme upon which he had set his heart, and which he felt or
feared, would not be agreeable to her. She had noticed a change in him.
He was tenderer toward her than he had been for years, yet her heart
detected the fact that the tenderness was a sham. She could not
ungraciously repel it, yet she felt humiliated in accepting it. So, as
she answered his question with the words: "Oh, much the same as usual,"
she could not look into his face with a smile upon her own.

"I've just been over to call on Mrs. Dillingham," said he.

"Ah?"

"Yes; I thought I would drop in and give her the compliments of the
season. She's rather lonely, I fancy."

"So am I."

"Well now, Sarah, there's a difference; you know there is. You have your
children, and--"

"And she my husband."

"Well, she's an agreeable woman, and I must go out sometimes. My
acquaintance with agreeable women in New York is not very large."

"Why don't you ask your wife to go with you? I'm fond of agreeable
women too."

"You are not fond of her, and I'm afraid she suspects it."

"I should think she would. Women who are glad to receive alone the calls
of married men, always do suspect their wives of disliking them."

"Well, it certainly isn't her fault that men go to see her without their
wives. Don't be unfair now, my dear."

"I don't think I am," responded Mrs. Belcher. "I notice that women never
like other women who are great favorites with men; and there must be
some good reason for it. Women like Mrs. Dillingham, who abound in
physical fascinations for men, have no liking for the society of their
own sex. I have never heard a woman speak well of her, and I have never
heard her speak well of any other woman."

"I have, and, more than that, I have heard her speak well of you. I
think she is shamefully belied. Indeed, I do not think that either of us
has a better friend than she, and I