?"

Guest spoke with unwonted passion, staring down into the girl's face
with challenging eyes, but Cornelia preserved her attitude of
complacent, albeit commiserating, superiority.

"My Poppar'd say it was sheer wickedness to see a chance of making
money, and letting it slide, but I don't go so far as that. Everyone
has a right to be miserable in his own way, but--I prefer to be
comfortable."

Her ripple of laughter struck a chill to Guest's heart. He looked at
her moodily beneath knitted brows.

"How is it that we always _do_ feel differently? We seem never to
agree. What is the explanation, I wonder?"

"We _are_ different!" returned Cornelia, simply. "The difference is
deep down beneath all we say or do. We're _made_ differently from the
start. You felt it the first moment we met, and I did the same. We
kinder hated each other, and wanted to scratch! That was instinct! You
don't get behind instinct in a hurry. Later on other things come in and
muddle one up, but just in the first moment one sees clearly. You
thought Elma Ramsden the sweetest thing, and were all fired up to help
her, but when you looked at me you were bursting with pride and
prejudice. Why was that, I want to know?"

"You have answered yourself. Prejudice--a blind, ignorant prejudice, of
which I am ashamed; and pride--wounded pride, because you attempted to
lay down the law! Don't judge me by that unfortunate beginning, Miss
Briskett. I have repented sufficiently to deserve forgiveness!"

Cornelia rested her chin on her clasped hands, and stared thoughtfully
over the forest of chimney-tops.

"You are sorry because I'm a girl, and we've had some pretty good times
together; but that don't alter the position of the case. I guess we are
each pretty good types of our different nationalities. We ken't blame
ourselves for that; if the truth's told, I expect we are proud of it,
but it makes it impossible to feel the same way. We're bound to jolt up
against each other every time we dip below the surface."

"You find it impossible then to think of me as a friend?"

To his own amazement there was a touch of genuine anxiety in Guest's
voice. It seemed to matter a great deal whether this girl of the ruddy
locks and curling lips accepted his friendship, or deliberately put it
aside; to matter none the less that she had jarred upon a dozen
prejudices during the course of the last half hour! He knew the tension
of suspense before he m