I never do it myself if I can help it." We laughed, and Mrs.Challoner's eyes twinkled.
"In England, dear, for instance," she said, with a mischievous glance at her spouse--"in England you never grumbled, did you ?" Mr.Challoner looked volumes--his visage reddened, and he clenched his broad fist with ominous vigour.
"Why, by the Lord!" he said, with even more than his usual deliberate utterance, "in England the liveliest flea that ever gave a triumphal jump in air would find his spirits inclined to droop! I tell you, ma'am," he continued, addressing himself to Zara, whose merry laugh rang out like a peal of little golden bells at this last remark--"I tell you that when I walked in the streets of London I used to feel as if I were one of a band of criminals.

Every person I met looked at me as if the universe were about to be destroyed next minute, and they had to build another up right away without God to help 'em!" "Well, I believe I agree with you," said Colonel Everard.

"The English take life too seriously.

In their craze for business they manage to do away with pleasure altogether.

They seem afraid to laugh, and they even approach the semblance of a smile with due caution." "I'm free to confess," added his wife, "that I'm not easily chilled through.