ones,
perhaps, than playing hostess to disconsolate travellers.'

'And what are your troubles, dear Nina?'

'I have half a mind not to tell you. You ask me with that supercilious air
that seems to say, "How can a creature like you be of interest enough to
any one or anything to have a difficulty?"'

'I force no confidences,' said the other coldly.

'For that reason you shall have them--at least this one. What will you
say when I tell you that young O'Shea has made me a declaration, a formal
declaration of love?'

'I should say that you need not speak of it as an insult or an offence.'

'Indeed! and if so, you would say what was perfectly wrong. It was both
insult and offence--yes, both. Do you know that the man mistook me for
_you_, and called me _Kate_?'

'How could this be possible?'

'In a darkened room, with a sick man slowly rallying from a long attack
of stupor; nothing of me to be seen but my hand, which he devoured with
kisses--raptures, indeed, Kate, of which I had no conception till I
experienced them by counterfeit!'

'Oh! Nina, this is not fair!'

'It is true, child. The man caught my hand and declared he would never quit
it till I promised it should be his own. Nor was he content with this; but,
anticipating his right to be lord and master, he bade you to beware of
_me_! "Beware of that Greek girl!" were his words--words strengthened by
what he said of my character and my temperament. I shall spare you, and I
shall spare myself, his acute comments on the nature he dreaded to see in
companionship with his wife. I have had good training in learning these
unbiassed judgments--my early life abounded in such experiences--but this
young gentleman's cautions were candour itself.'

'I am sincerely sorry for what has pained you.'

'I did not say it was this boy's foolish words had wounded me so acutely. I
could bear sterner critics than he is--his very blundering misconception of
me would always plead his pardon. How could he, or how could they with whom
he lived and talked, and smoked and swaggered, know of me, or such as me?
What could there be in the monotonous vulgarity of their tiresome lives
that should teach them what we are, or what we wish to be? By what
presumption did he dare to condemn all that he could not understand?'

'You are angry, Nina; and I will not say without some cause.'

'What ineffable generosity! You can really constrain yourself to believe
that I have been insulted!'

'I