“I could never keep my eye on anyone,” says Tita, with a sudden, irrepressible little laugh.  “And why should I keep my eye on Mrs. Bethune?  To tell you a solemn truth, Minnie, I can’t bear to look at her.  She’s beautiful, so they say, but to me she is hideous.  Therefore, why should I keep my eye on her?  It,” with a whimsical little glance, “would hurt me so.”

“Nevertheless, you should!" says Minnie solemnly.  “She’s a viper!”

“Vipers are ugly.”

“And dangerous.”

“Then why look at them?”

“To avoid them—­lest they sting you,” says Minnie, feeling quite pleased with herself for this flight of fancy.

“You think,” says Tita, stopping and looking at her, “that Mrs. Bethune will sting me?”

“I think nothing,” says Minnie Hescott, throwing out her hands in an airy fashion; “only, get rid of her—­get rid of her, Tita, as soon as ever you can!”

“To get rid of a guest! No," says Tita.  “She may stay here, and I shall make her welcome for ever——­” She pauses and looks full at her cousin.  There is great courage and great pride in her look.  “For ever!” repeats she.

“There is always a fool somewhere!” says Minnie Hescott, with a sigh.  “Well,” abandoning the discussion for the present, “let us go for our walk round the garden.”

As they pass beneath the balcony, Margaret, who is leaning over it, with Colonel Neilson beside her, makes a little irrepressible movement.

“What is it now?” asks he, who knows every mood of hers.

“Nothing.  I was only thinking about Tita.”

“A charming subject.”

“Oh! too charming,” says Margaret, with a sigh.  “That child troubles me.”

“But why?  She seems to be getting on all right, in spite of your evil prognostications before her marriage.  She and Rylton seem on very good terms.”

“Not to-day, at all events,” shaking her head.

“No?  I confess I did think there was a little rift somewhere.”

“Oh yes!  There is something,” says Margaret somewhat impatiently.  “Did you see the poor child’s eyes, and her whole air?  Her pretty little attempts at unconcern?”

“I thought Rylton looked rather put out, too.”

“I didn’t look at him.  I have no patience with him.  It is a mad marriage for any man to make.”  She pauses.  “I am afraid there was some disagreeableness last night.”  She hesitates again.  Though quite determined never to marry Colonel Neilson or any other man, she permits herself the luxury of retaining Neilson as a confidential friend.  “I wish her cousin, Mr. Hescott, was not quite so attentive to her.  She is very young, of course, but I don’t think she ought to have danced so much with him last night.”

“And what of Rylton?” asks the Colonel, pulling the glass out of his eye and sticking it in again in an angry fashion.  “Who did he dance with?”