“No; the native race was in better consonance.  You are so enthusiastic, it is pity you ever came away.”

“Not at all.  I didn’t know anything about it till I came back.”

“But a mere animal or vegetable life is not much.  What was ever done in the tropics?”

“Almost all the world’s history,—­wasn’t it?”

“No, indeed; only the first, most trifling, and barbarian movements.”

“At all events, you are full of blessedness in those climates, and that is the end and aim of all action; and if Nature will do it for you, there is no need of your interference.  It is much better to be than to do;—­one is a strife, the other is possession.”

“You mean being as the complete attainment?  There is only one Being, then.  All the rest of us are”——­

“Oh, dear me! that sounds like metaphysics!  Don’t!”

“So you see, you are not full of blessedness there.”

“You ought to have been born in Abelard’s time,—­you’ve such a disputatious spirit.  That’s I don’t know how many times you have contradicted me to-day.”

“Pardon.”

“I wonder if you are so easy with all women.”

“I don’t know many.”

“I shall watch to see if you contradict Lu this way.”

“I don’t need.  How absorbed she is!  Mr. Dudley is ’interesting’?”

“I don’t know.  No.  But then, Lu is a good girl, and he’s her minister,—­a Delphic oracle.  She thinks the sun and moon set somewhere round Mr. Dudley.  Oh!  I mean to show him my amber.”

And I tossed it into Lu’s lap, saying,—­

“Show it to Mr. Dudley, Lu,—­and ask him if it isn’t divine!”

Of course, he was shocked, and wouldn’t go into ecstasies at all; tripped on the adjective.

“There are gods enough in it to be divine,” said Rose, taking it from Lu’s hand and bringing it back to me.  “All those very Gnostic deities who assisted at Creation.  You are not afraid that the imprisoned things work their spells upon you?  The oracle declares it suits your cousin best,” he added, in a lower tone.

“All the oaf knows!” I responded.  “I wish you’d admire it, Mr. Dudley.  Mr. Rose don’t like amber,—­handles it like nettles.”

“No,” said Rose, “I don’t like amber.”

“He prefers aqua-marina,” I continued.  “Lu, produce yours!” For she had not heard him.

“Yes,” said Mr. Dudley, rubbing his finger over his lip while he gazed, “every one must prefer aqua-marina.”

“Nonsense!  It’s no better than glass.  I’d as soon wear a set of window-panes.  There’s no expression in it.  It isn’t alive, like real gems.”

Mr. Dudley stared.  Rose laughed.

“What a vindication of amber!” he said.

He was standing now, leaning against the mantel, just as he was before lunch.  Lu looked at him and smiled.

“Yone is exultant, because we both wanted the beads,” she said.  “I like amber as much as she.”