ame; for she had never seen you."

"Things like that make deep impressions on children," said Elinor,
thoughtfully. "You were a Zanoni in my imagination for years before I
saw you. When we first met you treated me insufferably. If you had known
how my childish fancy had predisposed me to worship you, you might have
vouchsafed me some more consideration, and I might have gone on
believing you a demigod to the end of the chapter. I have hardly
forgiven you yet for disenchanting me."

"I am sorry," said Douglas sarcastically. "I must have been sadly
lacking in impressiveness. But on the other hand I recollect that you
did not disappoint me in the least. You fully bore out the expectations
I had been led to form of you."

"I have no doubt I did," said Elinor. "Yet I protest that my reputation
was as unjust as yours. However, I have outlived my sensitiveness to
this injustice, and have even contracted a bad habit of pretending to
act up to it occasionally before foolish people. Marian: are you sure
that duet is not on the sofa in my room?"

"Oh, the sofa! I looked only in the green case."

"I will go and hunt it out myself. Excuse me for a few minutes."

Douglas was glad to see her go. Yet he was confused when he was alone
with Marian. He strolled to the window, outside which the roof of the
porch had been converted into a summer retreat by a tent of pink-striped
canvass. "The tent is up already," he said. "I noticed it as we came
in."

"Yes. Would you prefer to sit there? We can carry out this little
table, and put the lamp on it. There is just room for three chairs."

"We need not crowd ourselves with the table," he said. "There will be
light enough. We only want to talk."

"Very well," said Marian, rising. "Will you give me that woolen thing
that is on the sofa? It will do me for a shawl." He placed it on her
shoulders, and they went out.

"I will sit in this corner," said Marian. "You are too big for the
campstool. You had better bring a chair. I am fond of sitting here. When
the crimson shade is on the lamp, and papa asleep in its roseate glow,
the view is quite romantic: there is something ecstatically snug in
hiding here and watching it." Douglas smiled, and seated himself as she
suggested, near her, with his shoulder against the stone balustrade.

"Marian," said he, after a pause: "you remember what passed between us
at the Academy yesterday?"

"You mean our solemn league and covenant. Yes."

"Why did