gracious tone.

"My brother has given me a book to study from," he answered. "But if
he takes me about day and night, I don't know how I'm to manage it."

"Come and let me teach you," said Mrs. Winnie. "I mean it, really,"
she added. "I've nothing to do--at least that I'm not tired of. Only
I don't believe you'd take long to learn all that I know."

"Aren't you a successful player?" he asked sympathetically.

"I don't believe anyone wants me to learn," said Mrs.
Winnie.--"They'd rather come and get my money. Isn't that true,
Major?"

Major Venable sat on her other hand, and he paused in the act of
raising a spoonful of soup to his lips, and laughed, deep down in
his throat--a queer little laugh that shook his fat cheeks and neck.
"I may say," he said, "that I know several people to whom the status
quo is satisfactory."

"Including yourself," said the lady, with a little moue. "The
wretched man won sixteen hundred dollars from me last night; and he
sat in his club window all afternoon, just to have the pleasure of
laughing at me as I went by. I don't believe I'll play at all
to-night--I'm going to make myself agreeable to Mr. Montague, and
let you win from Virginia Landis for a change."

And then the Major paused again in his attack upon the soup. "My
dear Mrs. Winnie," he said, "I can live for much more than one day