"What shall I call it, then? You are engaged in making studies for
matrimony."

"I don't in the least object to your calling it that. My studies are of
extreme interest."

"And one of those young ladies is the fair volume that contains the
precious lesson," said Longueville. "Or perhaps your text-book is in two
volumes?"

"No; there is one of them I am not studying at all. I never could do two
things at once."

"That proves you are in love. One can't be in love with two women
at once, but one may perfectly have two of them--or as many as you
please--up for a competitive examination. However, as I asked you
before, which of these young ladies is it that you have selected?"

Gordon Wright stopped abruptly, eying his friend.

"Which should you say?"

"Ah, that 's not a fair question," Bernard urged. "It would be invidious
for me to name one rather than the other, and if I were to mention the
wrong one, I should feel as if I had been guilty of a rudeness towards
the other. Don't you see?"

Gordon saw, perhaps, but he held to his idea of making his companion
commit himself.