"He talks a great deal about his friends, doesn't he, Margaret ?" Margaret assented with a charming manner; and the two girls stood looking guardedly into each other's eyes.

"She is attractive," thought Margaret, not unkindly, for she was never unkind, "but I can't understand just what he sees in her." And at the same moment Patty was saying to herself, "Oh, she is everything that he admires and nothing that he enjoys." Aloud the elder girl said casually, "It is so quaint living down here in the Square, isn't it ?" "But it is too far away from everything," replied Stephen hurriedly.

"It must be very different from what it was when you came to balls here, Mother." "Very," answered Mrs.Culpeper stiffly because the cold hard smile was still on her lips.
"It doesn't seem far away when you are used to it," remarked Patty in a spiritless tone.

The vague heaviness, like a black cloud covered her heart again.

She was jealous of Margaret, jealous of her sweet, pale face, of her trusting blue eyes, of the delicate distinction that showed in the turn of her head, in her fragile hands, in the lovely liquid sound of her voice.
"Cousin Corinna has promised to bring me to see you," said Margaret in her kind and gentle way.
"I hope you'll come," replied Patty politely; but in her thoughts she added, "I hope you won't.