 my life is
pleasanter than your Miss Morgan's.«
    »Yes; but Miss Morgan is so uninteresting, and not young.«
    »She is interesting to herself, I suppose; and I am not at all sure that
everything gets easier as one gets older.«
    »No,« said Rosamond, reflectively; »one wonders what such people do, without
any prospect. To be sure, there is religion as a support. But,« she added,
dimpling, »it is very different with you, Mary. You may have an offer.«
    »Has any one told you he means to make me one?«
    »Of course not. I mean, there is a gentleman who may fall in love with you,
seeing you almost every day.«
    A certain change in Mary's face was chiefly determined by the resolve not to
show any change.
    »Does that always make people fall in love?« she answered, carelessly; »it
seems to me quite as often a reason for detesting each other.«
    »Not when they are interesting and agreeable. I hear that Mr. Lydgate is
both.«
    »Oh, Mr. Lydgate!« said Mary, with an unmistakable lapse into indifference.
»You want to know something about him,« she added, not choosing to indulge
Rosamond's indirectness.
    »Merely, how you like him.«
    »There is no question of liking at present. My liking always wants some
little kindness to kindle it. I am not magnanimous enough to like people who
speak to me without seeming to see me.«
    »Is he so haughty?« said Rosamond, with heightened satisfaction. »You know
that he is of good family?«
    »No; he did not give that as a reason.«
    »Mary! you are the oddest girl. But what sort of looking man is he? Describe
him to me.«
    »How can one describe a man? I can give you an inventory: heavy eyebrows,
dark eyes, a straight nose, thick dark hair, large solid white hands - and - let
me see - oh, an exquisite cambric pocket-handkerchief. But you will see him. You
know this is about the time of his visits.«
    Rosamond blushed a little, but said, meditatively, »I rather like a haughty
manner. I cannot endure a rattling young man.«
    »I did not tell you that Mr. Lydgate was haughty; but il y en a pour tous
les gôuts, as little Mamselle used to say, and if
