"The dignified reserve that distinguishes an estrangement from a
squabble."

No reply.

"Well, I admire permanent sentiments, good or bad; constant resolves,
etc. Your friendship has not proved immortal; so, now let us see how long
you can hold spite--SIEVES!" Then he affected to start. "What is this? I
spy a rational creature out on yonder balcony. I hasten to join him.
'Birds of a feather, you know;" and with that he went out to his
favorite, 'and never looked behind him.

The young ladies, indignant at the contempt the big man had presumed to
cast upon the constant soul of woman, turned two red faces and four
sparkling eyes to each other, with the instinctive sympathy of the
jointly injured; but remembering in time, turned sharply round again, and
presented napes, and so sat sullen.





By-and-by a chilling thought fell upon them both at the same moment of
time. The men were good friends as usual, safe, by sex, from tiffs, and
could do without them; and a dull day impended over the hostile fair.

Thereupon the ingenious Fanny resolved to make a splash of some sort and
disturb stagnation. She suddenly cried out, "La! and the man is gone
away: so what is the use?" This remark she was careful to level at bare