e opera, as anybody I know."

"I never saw a decent opera in my life."

"Philip!"

"Nor did you."

"How ridiculous! You have been going to the opera all your life, and
the theatre too, in half a dozen different countries."

"Therefore I claim to know of what I speak. And if I had a wife--" he
paused. His thoughts made two or three leaps; the vision of Lois's
sweet, pure dignity came before him, and words were wanting.

"What if you had a wife?" asked his sister impatiently.

"I would rather she would be anything but a 'fast' woman."

"She needn't be 'fast'; but she needn't be precise either."

There was something in Philip's air or his silence which provoked Mrs.
Burrage. She went on with some heat, and defiantly.

"I have no objection to religion, in a proper way. I always teach
Chauncey to make the responses."

"Make them yourself?"

"Of course."

"Do you mean them?"

"Mean them!"--

"Yes. Do you mean what you say? When you have said, 'Lord, have mercy
upon us, miserable sinners'--did you feel guilty? or miserable?"

"Miserable!"--

"Yes. Did you feel miserable?"

"Philip, I have no idea what you are driving at, unless you are
defending these two precise, puritanical young country-women."

"A little of that," he said, smiling, "and a little of something else."

He had risen, as if to go. His sister looked at him, vexed and
uncertain. She was proud of her brother, she admired him, as almost
people did who knew Mr. Dillwyn. Suddenly she changed her tactics; rose
up, and coming to him laid both her hands on his shoulders so that she
could raise herself up to kiss him.

"Don't _you_ go and be foolish!" she said. "I will forgive your friend,
Philip, but I will not forgive you!"

CHAPTER XLV.

DUTY.

The days of December went by. Lois was herself again, in health; and
nothing was in the way of Madge's full enjoyment of New York and its
pleasures, so she enjoyed them to the full. She went wherever Mrs.
Wishart would take her. That did not involve any very outrageous
dissipation, for Mrs. Wishart, though fond of society, liked it best in
moderation. Moderate companies and moderate hours suited her. However,
Madge had enough to content her new thirst for excitement and variety,
especially as Mr. Dillwyn continually came in to fill up gaps in her
engagements. He took her to drive, or to see various sights, which for
the country-bred girl were full of enchantment; and he came to the
h