ho seemed very
glad to hear about you, though he tried to seem not. Can you guess who
it was? I see that you never could, in the world! We got quite chummy
one day, when we were going out to the pyramids together, and he gave
himself away, finely. He's a simple soul! But when they're in love
they're all so! It was a little queer, colloguing with the ex-headwaiter
on society terms; but the head-waitership was merely an episode, and the
main thing is that he is very talented, and is going to be a minister.
It's a pity he's so devoted to his crazy missionary scheme. Some one
ought to get hold of him, and point him in the direction of a rich New
York congregation. He'd find heathen enough among them, and he could do
the greatest amount of good with their money; I tried to talk it into
him. I suppose you saw him in Florence, this spring?" she suddenly
asked.

"Yes," Clementina answered briefly.

"And you didn't make it up together. I got that much out of Miss Milray.
Well, if he were here, I should find out why. But I don't suppose you
would tell me." She waited a moment to see if Clementina would, and then
she said, "It's a pity, for I've a notion I could help you, and I think
I owe you a good turn, for the way I behaved about your dance. But if
you don't want my help, you don't."

"I would say so if I did, Mrs. Milray," said Clementina. "I was hu't, at
the time; but I don't care anything for it, now. I hope you won't think
about it any more!"

"Thank you," said Mrs. Milray, "I'll try not to," and she laughed. "But
I should like to do something to prove my repentance."

Clementina perceived that for some reason she would rather have more
than less cause for regret; and that she was mocking her; but she was
without the wish or the power to retaliate, and she did not try to
fathom Mrs. Milray's motives. Most motives in life, even bad motives,
lie nearer the surface than most people commonly pretend, and she might
not have had to dig deeper into Mrs. Milray's nature for hers than that
layer of her consciousness where she was aware that Clementina was a
pet of her sister-in-law. For no better reason she herself made a pet
of Mrs. Lander, whose dislike of Miss Milray was not hard to divine, and
whose willingness to punish her through Clementina was akin to her own.
The sick woman was easily flattered back into her first belief in Mrs.
Milray and accepted her large civilities and small services as proof
of her virtues. She