the sheets of paper which he has been studying attentively, and says:

"Your solution is perfectly sound, Angela; but you have arrived at it
in a characteristic fashion, and by your own road. Not but what your
method has some merits--for one thing, it is more concise than my own;
but, on the other hand, it shows a feminine weakness. It is not
possible to follow every step from your premises to your conclusion,
correct as it is."

"Ah!" says a low voice, with a happy ripple in it, the owner of which
is busy with some tea-things out of range of the ring of light thrown
by the double reading-lamp, "you often blame me for jumping to
conclusions; but what does it matter, provided they are right? The
whole secret is that I used the equivalent algebraic formula, but
suppressed the working in order to puzzle you," and the voice laughed
sweetly.

"That is not worthy of a mathematician," said Mr. Fraser, with some
irritation; "it is nothing but a trick, a _tour de force_."

"The solution is correct, you say?"

"Quite."

"Then I maintain that it is perfectly mathematical; the object of
mathematics is to arrive at the truth."

"_Vox et preterea nihil._ Come out of that corner, my dear. I hate
arguing with a person I cannot see. But there, there, what is the use
of arguing at all? The fact is, Angela, you are a first-class