her brow. But he was mistaken as to the cause.

"The Macready Theater!" cried the lady in a tone of satisfaction. "Ah! I
can guess now. You must mean my sister, of course. There can be no
other explanation. I know she is"--she shuddered daintily--"an actress,
but I had quite forgotten her nom de guerre."

"Her ... sister ..." repeated Lionel dully. "Why, yes ... I thought I
was calling on her sister ... I wished to see her--not Miss Blair
again...."

He sat down, unable to realize it yet.

"Did you not know we were twins?" she asked, clearly anxious to help
him.

"I had heard ... but I did not expect...."

"To find the resemblance so striking? I have not seen my sister for
years, but when we were younger strangers often mistook us. We were
mutual replicas. I imagine from your surprise that the resemblance is
still very marked."

"That is the feeblest way of putting it," he answered, still staring as
if fascinated. "You are identical in every feature--eyes--hair--even the
voice...."

"Perhaps you might find that we differ in disposition--in character----"

He interrupted bruskly, forcing himself to accept the incredible.

"Excuse me; but I can not imagine any one so perfect as Miss Blair."

The lady sighed. "She is on the stage."

"Good heavens, madam!" said Lionel with scornful candor. "Does the stage
spell infamy to you? I thought that attitude was _vieux jeu_ now."

"I may be old-fashioned," she said primly, "but I am under few
illusions. Of course I would not even hint that my sister is likely to
tread the downward path" ("Oh, _lord_!" he groaned in spirit)--"one of
our family must have sufficient firmness of character to rise above even
_her_ environment. But we know the old proverb of pitch and defilement;
can she honestly hope to retain her bloom unsullied?"

"Have you ever--I won't say 'met an actor or actress,'" asked Lionel in
polite wrath, "but, been to a theater?"

"Certainly. Three pantomimes and _Our Boys_."

"But that is--how many years ago?"

"It was a revival of the play," she said with a blush, and Lionel was
glad to notice that she had at least one human trait. "I am thankful to
say that I did not laugh."

"And you rest your condemnation on that?" he asked, disgusted that so
pretty a creature could be so narrow.

"On that, on what I have been told, and on the ridiculous number of
post-card favorites that I see--often in deplorable dishabille--in every
stationer's shop. I have de