The San Francisco call., 1904-08-07
CHAPTER VI.

noon, Julia, remembering her promise.
drove out with Esther in a pretty vic
tOTia drawn by two roam horses; and
as they went, the IOquacious creatures
had a hundred things to talk Of.
Scarcely had the gates crossed behind
them than she confessed that she had
seen her brother and had been delight
ed to hear cf Esther's asquiescence in
his plans. OF this. she said she had
been sure from the first
Il knew it, my dear-I knew you
would never be so silly as to throw
away such a golden opportunity.
Francis believes that he can make you
the most beautiful woman in the world.
He is not the man to deceive himself.
What he says he can do, he will do;
and just think how happy your consent
makes him We are to be more than
friends now: we are TO be sisters.
shall call you Esther and you viii call
me Julia. There will be so much TO do
between this and the end of the sea-
son, and We sha'n't have a minute to
spare Oh. my dear child. Just think Of
the gowns you must buyl Here's
HOmburg not a month off, and after
Homburg our shooting party at Dou-
vaine, and then the Villa Cara for the
winter; and after that-who knows, IL
may even be my own dear Spain and
our palace at Cadi. And you must
have gowns for all OF them-oh, the Joy
of it. to begin with nothing! And I
have such a wardrobe full that I could
clothe city. I envy you!'
Esther was a little surprised that her
consent to the Doctors proposal should
thus be taken for granted, for she had
not said a word that would imply con-
sent; and. indeed, her answer was still
to be made. She judged, however, that
it was not the time to speak OF II, and.
avoiding the subject, she endeavored
to question her companion for her own
enlightenment.
II am sure that Doctor Xavier Is both
clever and kind" she said, in a win
ningly simple way. What fear, dear
Julia, is whther one Is right to do as
he wishes. 1 have always been taught
to be afraid Of vanity; and, indeed, I
am very happy as / am. Even II your
brother succeeded in his experiments,
surely 1 am not the best subject he
could choose"
Julia took her hand in her own and
drew her close as though some new
bond of love already united them.
Nonsense, nonsense!" she protested.
Whatever my brother does is for the
good of humanity. Don't you see, you
dear little child, how much happiness
would come into the world IL women
could be made more beautiful? And
you-you are the sweetest subject a
man could havei We shall be so proud
of you, Esther; you will always be re-
membered as the brave girl who did
this service for your sisters. All, my
dear, if it is wrong to desire beautiful
things. then we are very wicked peo-
pie! But I shall never believe IL; I
shall always say that Francisco Xavier
is a leader among men,"
Esther did not quite trust this ready
woman Of the world. believing her shall
low and possibly a little tickle: but the
arguments themselves were very plaus-
ible, and, indeed, a similar process OF
reasoning had guided her that day.
After all, she said. II il were really
with scientific truths that the Doctor
wished to experiment, and she would
suffer no harm because or them, there
was no good cause why her consent
should be withheld. A lover Of COM
promise always, ii occurred to Esther
that she might give a conditional ans
wer, keeping to herself the right to
withdraw 1t il anything were done OF
which her woman's instinct might Be
ashamed. In plain words, she deter
mined to tell the Doctor that she would
try to serve him; but that the right
must remain to her to say mo- when
his experiments offended her. Never
theless, she was not prepared to con-
fess as much to Julia; and she took
refuge from the argument in silence.
There had been few light showers
e4rlier in the day; but a delicious fra
GRANGE Of the later afternoon account
ed for a splendid park, and for very
cavalcade Of open carriages. L0ndon's
gayeties had almost exhausted them
selves in these later days of July; peo-
pie were glad to drive in the fresh air
and so to make their plans for HON.
burg or the Solent. Esther used to
trudge the gravel paths by the Achilles
statue when first she came to London.
and now she remembered how she had
admired the rich equipages and the
wonderful gowns of the great women
who looked down upon her. The
change which a day had brought iEe<
her life was almost beyond her COM
prehension. Here she sat dressed as
those others whose names were on
every tongue. She. too, could now look
down on many poor creature who
welcomed the shelter Of the trees be-
cause she dreaded the discoveries OF
the garisn sunshine. The carriage in
which she rode had come from Paris.
and had sent many an order - it,
fashi lnable builder. The rOans had
cost Doctor Xavier seven hundred
gufneas Esther observed that her
companion was everywhere recognized
and saluted. Women stared after the
carriage a little enviOusly; the men re-
t garded it with obvious favor. Esther
was glad that she was not compelled
, to speak to any Cf these people She
was greatly afraid when the carriage
Z stopped by Rotten Row that some
: chatting woman would be presented to
!, her, and. perhaps. wish to know her
etOrv None troubled them. hOUave-