you have a womanly intuition of my purpose, and are intentionally
discouraging me."

"Not the least. I am not good at speculations of that sort. On my
word, if you do not confess quickly, I will hurry away to the
museum."

"I cannot find a suitable form of expression," said Lucian, in
painful perplexity. "I am sure you will not attribute any sordid
motive to my--well, to my addresses, though the term seems absurd. I
am too well aware that there is little, from the usual point of
view, to tempt you to unite yourself to me. Still--"

A rapid change in Lydia's face showed him that he had said enough.
"I had not thought of this," she said, after a silence that seemed
long to him. "Our observations are so meaningless until we are given
the thread to string them on! You must think better of this, Lucian.
The relation that at present exists between us is the very best that
our different characters will admit of. Why do you desire to alter
it?"

"Because I would make it closer and more permanent. I do not wish to
alter it otherwise."

"You would run some risk of simply destroying it by the method you
propose," said Lydia, with composure. "We could not co-operate.
There are differences of opinion between us amounting to differences
of principle."

"Surely you are not serious. Your political opinions, or notions,