Ideala

ld be made to understand that it was not the proper thing to talk familiarl

" she said. "If I can give pleasure to a stranger by doing so, or

her duty to her neighbo

about two old gentlemen she had

se I thought the jury might almost have brought in a verdict of 'justifiable felo-de-se.' And when I told that story the other old gentleman shut his book, and began to talk too. And I said I thought the weather was much colder than it used to be, for I could remember wearing muslin dresses in May, and I could not wear them at all now; but I did not know if the change were in the climate or in myself-perhaps a little of both-though, indeed, I knew that, to a certain extent, it was in the climate, which had been very much altered in different districts by drainage, and cutting, or planting-altered for the better, however, as a rule. And one old gentleman had heard that before, but did not understand it exactly, so I explained it to him; and then I talked about changes of climate in general, and the formation of beds of coal, and the ice period, and sun-spots, and the theory of comets, and about my husband getting up to see the last one, and going out in a felt hat a

did all this

dreams would be rather confused

gentleme

ot to be excused, and would possibly not have been forgiven in any one but Ideala. But such things were allowed in her as certain things are allowed in certain people-not because the things are right in themselves, but be

he had some latent idea of making atonement in that way. It never mattered how much a story told against herself, nor how

tation at York, and in her absent way she fixed her e

ut any apology or show of respect, rema

were the most natural thing in the world, "but I d

se you ever heard

e answered, calmly. "I never know any one exc

, eagerly; "I

y. "Englishmen in the 5th, and some other re

tha

t is a b

en, hat in hand, he made her a low bo

nt to have some refreshment,

, if she did or said the wrong thing, she became painfully conscious of the fact immediately afterwards-indeed, it was generally afterwards that she grasped the full meaning of mos

a woman could have no sense of propriety at all who married a man younger than herself-that no good could possibly come of such marriages-and a lot more.