exclaimed. 'Do tell me about Miss Temple. It is so
seldom there is anything amusing about a really nice person.'

"Emily was silent for a moment, and then she said: 'Well, I do not know
that there is any real harm in telling you what makes me laugh. A good
many people know all about it; but I would not, for the world, have
Margaret Temple find out that I told you.'

"I assured her with great earnestness that if she would tell me, I would
never breathe it to any living soul.

"'Very well,' said Emily; 'I will trust you. As I said, it really isn't
funny, but it is just this. It is a positive fact that five married
ladies (I am certain of this number, and it may be more) have gone to
Margaret Temple, during the past few years, and each one has asked her
to become her husband's second wife in case she should die.'

"I did not laugh; I exclaimed in amazement: 'Why did they all ask her? I
did not notice anything particularly attractive about her.'

"'I think that is the point,' said Emily. 'I do not think a woman is
likely to want her husband to take an attractive woman for his second
wife. If she had the chance to choose her successor, she would like her
husband to have a really nice person, good in every way, but not one
with whom he would be likely to fall violently in love. Don't you see
the point of that?'

"I replied that it was easy enough to see the point, but that there was
another one. 'You must remember,' said I, 'that husbands are generally
very particular; if one has had a young and handsome wife he would not
be likely to be satisfied with anything less.'

"Emily shook her head. 'I am older than you, Rosa, and have had more
opportunities of noticing widowers. There are a great many things for
them to think about when they marry a second time: their children, their
positions, and all that. I believe that if a man and his wife discussed
it, which they would not be likely to do, they would be very apt to be
of the same mind in regard to the sort of person who ought to come in as
number two. For my part, I do not wonder at all that so many women have
cast their eyes on Margaret Temple as a person they would like to have
take their places when they are gone. For one thing, you know they would
not be jealous of her; this is very important. Then, they would be as
certain as anything can be certain in this world that their children, if
they had any, as well as their husbands, would be in most excellent
hands. Ofte