House.

The Daughter of the House opened her mouth to say: "I do not like her.
She had no enthusiasm, or real goodness, to give up her work so soon and
for such reasons." But she suddenly reflected that Mary had been the
speaker's wife, and she shut her mouth with a little vicious snap.

"I went to the Armat house that evening, and I found there a very lively
girl awaiting me. Her parents and her two sisters had gone out, and we
had the parlor to ourselves. Life in Burma may not have suited Mary
Armat, but it certainly had improved her, for she was much more charming
than when I had last seen her. Moreover, she was so very friendly, and
without doubt so glad to see me, she was so bright and full of high
spirits, that it might have been supposed she had arranged matters so
that we could have the evening to ourselves, and was eminently pleased
with her success.

"I admired her more and more every time I looked at her, and I
determined that, as soon as the proper time should come, I would make
earnest love to her, and tell her what, perhaps, I should have told her
long ago. But just now I had other matters on my mind.

"Above all things I wanted Mary to talk into my translatophone, and to
speak in Burmese. I knew nothing whatever of that language, and if she
should speak it, and the words should come to my ears in pure English,
then no further experiment would be necessary, no doubts could possibly
exist. But until I had made this test I did not want her to know what
the instrument was intended to do; it was barely possible she might play
a trick on me and speak in English. But if the thing succeeded I would
tell her everything. We two should be the sole owners of the secret of
my great invention--an invention which would not only benefit the
English-speaking world, but which might be adapted to the language of
any nation, and which would make us rich beyond all ordinary
probabilities.

"As soon as I had the opportunity I began to speak of the work I had
been engaged upon during Mary's absence; and when I approached the
subject I thought I saw on her face an expression which seemed to say,
'Oh, dear! are you going to begin on that tiresome business again?' But
I was not to be turned from my purpose. Such an opportunity as this was
too valuable, too important, to be slighted or set aside for anything
else. In a few minutes I might discover whether this invention of mine
was a success or a failure. I took my translatop