These young women felt their friendship deeply, in their several ways.

It held for them all sacredness and honor and obligation.

For Elfrida it had an intrinsic beauty and interest, like a curio -- she had half a dozen such curios in the museum of her friends--and for Janet it added something to existence that was not there before, more delightful and important than a mere opportunity of expansion.

The time came speedily when it would have been a positive pain to either of them to hear the other discussed, however favorably..