nd a photograph of a
plant which was the pride of the Berlin gardens that year--an aloe, no
yucca, but one of the true rare blooming sort, in full flower. Julia
was asked to take her choice of these two; she chose the photograph
because it seemed to her much more characteristic of the giver, and
also because it was easier to put away. She had no idea of pleasing
Joost by so doing; to tell the truth she hardly felt desirous of
pleasing him, for though she had refrained from taking his blue
daffodil and was in a way satisfied that she had done so, she did not
feel exactly grateful to him for unconsciously standing between her
and it, from which some may conclude that virtue was not an indigenous
plant with Julia.

When Denah arrived after dinner she was given the vase. Before Joost
went away she had expressed in his hearing a wish that she had
something from Berlin; she had said it rather pronouncedly as one
might express a desire for a bear from the Rocky Mountains, or a ruby
from Burmah; she could hardly have received one of those with more
enthusiasm than she did the vase. She admired it from every point of
view and thanked Joost delightedly; the delight, however, was a little
modified when Mijnheer let slip the fact that Julia also had a present
from Berlin.

"Have you?" she asked suspiciously. "What is it? Show me."

Julia fetched the photograph and exhibited it with as little elation
as possible. Denah did not admire it greatly, she said she much
preferred her own present.

At this Joost smiled a little; it was only what he expected, and
Julia began tactfully to talk about the beauties of the vase; but
Denah was not to be put off her main point.

"Do you not prefer mine; really and truly, would you not rather it had
been yours?" she asked.

Julia could have slipped out of the answer quite easily; the
Polkingtons were all good at saying things to be interpreted according
to taste; but Joost, with signal idiocy, stepped in and prevented.

"No," he said, "she preferred the photograph; she chose it of the
two."

At this intelligence Denah's face was a study; Julia could not but be
amused by it although she was sorry. She did not want to make the girl
jealous, it was absurd that she should be; but absurdity never
prevents such things, and would not now, nor would it make her
pleasanter if she were once fairly roused. Julia smoothed matters over
as well as she could, which was very well considering, though she