uired
all the glitter of her reported wealth to make her endurable in Dolf's
mercenary eyes.

Then her color and her frizzed locks, at which Victoria sneered so
openly--that was a tender point with Dolf; he had the general contempt
for the jetty hue which one is certain to find among those of the bronze
complexion.

Dolf stood there looking at Clorinda and revolving all those things in
his mind, while she washed her vegetables and made herself busy as
possible at the kitchen dressers.

"Dis life is full of mysteriousness, Miss Clorindy," he said in a
meditative tone.

Clorinda snipped off the tops from the carrots she was preparing for her
soup, and assented.

"Dar ain't much wuth livin' for," she said gloomily.

Dolf was frightened at once; when Clo got into one of her desponding
humors she became very religious without delay; and he trembled with
fear that she would condemn him to Methodist hymns and a prayer-meeting
that very night.

"Don't say dat, Miss Clorindy, now don't!" he exclaimed pathetically.
"You's de light ob too many eyes for sich renumerations--you lights der
hearts as de sun does de sky at noonday."

Clorinda relented; with all her firmness and numerous other grim
virtues, she was a thorough woman at heart, and never could withstand
flattery adroitly administered.

"Go 'long wid yer poety nonsense," said she, giving a coquettish toss to
her head that made her gorgeous bandanna flutter as if suddenly
electrified. "Go 'way wid sich, I say."

"Don't call it nonsense, sweet Miss Clorindy," urged Dolf; "when a
gemman disposes de tenderest feelins' ob his bussom at yer feet, don't
jist at 'em."

To be called by such endearing epithets in two consecutive sentences,
softened Clorinda greatly; this time something uncommon must be
coming--Dolf certainly was in earnest.

"I don't see nothin' at my feet," said she, with a little giggle.

"Yes, yer does, Miss Clorindy," pleaded Dolf; "yes, yer does--now don't
deny it."

"La!" said Clorinda, in a delightful flurry, "you men is so confusin'."

"I don't mean ter be confusin', Miss Clorindy," said Dolf; "it's far
from my wishes--leastways wid you."

There was a tender emphasis on the concluding pronoun which quite upset
Clorinda. She allowed the carrots to fall back in the pan of water, and
seated herself on a stool near by--if anything serious was coming she
would receive it with dignity befitting the occasion.

Artful Dolf, profound in his kno