she yes for in a rising place like with so many new it must be quite a task for the older inhabitants to welcome them i have been so surprised by the kindness which every one has shown oh i see said her visitor you think that i live here i have really just come down from london indeed said and awaited an explanation as none was she added you will find a very nice place a nice place to be buried in alive or dead said her visitor there was something peculiarly in her tone and manner it seemed to that she had never before been alone with so singular a person there was in the first place her striking and yet rather sinister and beauty a then there was the absolute of her manner the quiet assumption that she was outside the usual of it is a manner only to be met in english among some of the highest of the high world and some of the highest ot the world it was new to and it made her while mingled with it there was something else which made her feel for the first time in her life that she had incurred the hostility ot a fellow mortal it chilled her and made her unhappy the visitor made no effort to sustain the conversation but leaned back in her chair and stared at her hostess with a very critical and searching glance those two questioning dark eyes played eagerly over her from her brown curls down to the little shining shoe tips which peeped from under the grey skirt especially they dwelt upon her face reading it and it never had been so and her instinct told her that tlie inspection was not altogether a friendly one violet having her rival proceeded now with the same cool attention to take in her surroundings she looked round deliberately at the furniture of the room and in her own mind the ot the i who owned it ventured upon one or two danger conventional remarks but her visitor was not to be diverted to the weather or to the of the south western train service she continued her quiet and silent inspection suddenly she rose and swept across to the side table a photograph of frank in his uniform stood upon it this is your husband mr frank yes do you know him slightly we have mutual friends an smile played across her face as she spoke this must have been taken after i saw him it was taken just after our marriage quite so he looks like a good little married man the photograph is flattering oh you think so i said coldly my own impression is that it fails to do him justice her visitor laughed of course that would be your impression said she s gentle soul began to rise in anger it is the truth she cried it is right that you should think so the other answered with the same laugh you must have known him very slightly if you can t see that it is the truth then i must have known him very slightly was very angry indeed she began to a find sides to her own nature the very existence of which she had never suspected she tapped her little shoe upon the ground and she sat with a pale face and compressed lips and bright eyes quite prepared to be very rude indeed to this eccentric woman who ventured to her frank in so free and easy a style her visitor watched her and a change had come over her expression s evident anger seemed to amuse and interest her her eyes lost their critical coldness and softened into approval she suddenly put her hand upon the other s shoulder with so natural and yet a gesture that found it impossible to resent it he is a lucky man to have such a warm little champion said she her strong character and greater knowledge of the world gave her an over the girlish wife such as age has over youth there were not ten years between them and yet felt that for some reason the conversation between them could not quite be upon equal terms the quiet assurance of her visitor whatever its cause made resentment or remonstrance difficult besides they were a pair of very kindly as well as of very shrewd eyes which now looked down into hers danger you love him very much then of course i love him he is my husband does it always follow you are married yourself don t you love yours oh never mind mine he s all right did you ever love any one else no not really was astonished at herself and yet the questions were so frankly put that a frank answer came naturally to them it pleased her to lose that cold chill of dislike and to feel that for some reason her strange visitor had become more friendly to her you lucky girl you actually married the one love of your life i smiled and nodded what a splendid thing to do i i thought it only happened in books how happy you must be i am very very happy well i dare say you deserve to be besides you really are very pretty if ever you had a rival i should think that it must be some consolation to her to know that it was so charming a person who cut her out laughed at the thought i never had a rival said she my husband never really loved until he met me a did he � oh yes quite so that is so nice that you should both start with a clean sheet i thought you were very handsome just now when you were angry with me but you are quite delightful with that little flush upon your cheeks if i had been a man your 