way, there should be no sorrow or suffering,” which of all sentiments was the most likely to appeal to Dick Dudley, for he is one of those who look upon sorrow and suffering as bad management on the part of some one, since the world is really such an awfully jolly place, if only people didn’t make a muddle of their lives.  He says it is all very well to talk of high ideals, you can’t live up to them, the best you can do is to live up to the highest practical ideal.  But then his standard of ideal is very much higher since he saw Pauline for the first time.  Pauline blushed when a strange man walked into the room, which was all for the best, and made the day a happier one for me.  Not that Dick Dudley was not very loyal to me.  He tried, I could see it was an effort) not to talk too much to Pauline, although the topic of bearing-reins, under certain circumstances, was a very engrossing one, and spaniels a never-ending one.  Pauline expressed her surprise that Mr. Dudley should ask her if she lived in London.

“I thought every one could see I lived in the country,” she said.  “Did you mean it for a compliment?” she asked kindly.

Dick Dudley was a little overcome by this, and he said he would hardly have dared to pay her a compliment, since every one knew that girls who lived in the country away from bearing-reins and other hardening and worldly influences, and in close proximity to spaniels, black, liver and white, cocker, clumber, and otherwise, were so vastly superior to their London sisters.  Here Dick got a little deep and Pauline kindly rescued him.

“A compliment to my clothes, I meant,” she said; “because all my friends in London tell me my clothes are so countrified.”

Dick listened very, very seriously to the reasons why Pauline was obliged to have most of her clothes made in the country, and I could see that every moment he thought less of the importance of clothes and their makers, and more and more of the qualities essential in woman, simplicity, goodness, frankness, and an absence of artificiality.  I saw it all on his face, dawning slowly and surely.  By the time we had had tea, I could see it was a matter of mutual satisfaction to both Dick and Pauline to find that they were going to the same dance that night.  The responsibility of chaperoning Pauline was not mine.

My anxiety as to the ball dress emerging from the small box was relieved by Pauline telling me that it was to come from the dressmaker just in time for her to dress for the ball; which it did.  She came to be inspected by Nannie and me before she started, and she really looked delicious.  Her assets as a country girl counted heavily that night, she looked so fresh, so natural, and so full of the joy of living.  Her hair counted, every hair of it.  Nannie was so touched that she wept aloud and said it was what I ought to be doing.  But I told her professional aunts went only to children’s parties, where they could be of some use.  Pauline wished I was going.  “Betty,” she said and paused, I am sure Mr. —­ is his name Dudley? feels very much your not going.”  I laughed, and marked it down against her that she should have said, “Is his name Dudley?” It was the first evidence of feminine guile I had detected in her.  Men are answerable for a very great deal.