ut her, her rebellious Cupid's bow of a mouth was shut
sternly, she was even quite repellant,--she has never attracted me more!

The Duchesse was sweet to her and made no remark about the glasses, but
was called back to the ward almost immediately for a little, and while
she was gone Mr. Nelson read over the settlement.

"I think you are giving me a great deal too much," Alathea said
annoyedly. "I shall feel uncomfortable,--and chained."

"I intend my wife to have this." I answered quietly. "So I am afraid you
will have to agree."

She pulled in her lips but said no more until the part about the
children came, when she started to her feet, her cheeks crimson.

"What is this ridiculous clause?" she asked angrily.

Old Mr. Nelson looked unspeakably shocked. "It is customary in all
marriage settlements, my dear young lady," he said reprovingly, and
Alathea looked at me with suspicion, but she said nothing, and the
Duchesse, returning then to the room, all was soon signed, sealed and
delivered! Mr. Nelson withdrew, saying he would call for Miss Bulteel
next day for the wedding.

When we were alone the Duchesse kissed us both.

"I hope for your happiness, my children," she said. "I know you both,
and your droll characters, the time will come when you may know each
other, and in any case, I feel that you will both remember that _tenue_,
a recognition of correct behaviour, helps all situations in life, and
the rest is in the hands of the _Bon Dieu_."

Then she left us again, and Alathea sat stiffly down upon an
uncompromising little Louis XV _canape_ out of my reach. I did not move
or speak, indeed I lit a cigarette casually.

Alathea's face was a study! I watched her lazily. How had I ever thought
her plain? Even in those first days, disguised with the horn spectacles,
and the tornback hair, the contour of her little face is so perfectly
oval, and her neck so round and long, but not too long. There is not the
least look of scragginess about her, just extreme slenderness, a
small-boned creature of perhaps five foot four or five, with childish
outline. To-day in the becoming little grey frock, and even with the
glasses on she is lovely, perhaps she seems so to me because I now know
that the glasses are not necessary. The expression of her mouth said,
"Am I being tricked? Does the man mean to seize me when he gets me
alone? Shall I run away and have done with it?"

She was restless, her old serenity seems to have des