the slight shock her previous remark had caused him. It
was undeniably exciting to meet a lady who found the
van der Luydens' Duke dull, and dared to utter the
opinion. He longed to question her, to hear more about
the life of which her careless words had given him so
illuminating a glimpse; but he feared to touch on
distressing memories, and before he could think of
anything to say she had strayed back to her original subject.

"May is a darling; I've seen no young girl in New
York so handsome and so intelligent. Are you very
much in love with her?"

Newland Archer reddened and laughed. "As much as
a man can be."

She continued to consider him thoughtfully, as if not
to miss any shade of meaning in what he said, "Do you
think, then, there is a limit?"

"To being in love? If there is, I haven't found it!"

She glowed with sympathy. "Ah--it's really and truly
a romance?"

"The most romantic of romances!"

"How delightful! And you found it all out for
yourselves--it was not in the least arranged for you?"