"If you please. You remember you said you would be better able to do so after your sister's marriage." "Because I thought that I would miss her so much and be lonely myself, was not that it? Well, of course I have missed Queen very much, but I have scarcely been lonely. You have taken care of that, and I am sure that I am very grateful to you. You have been very nice to me." "You think so? You admit that?" He spoke eagerly. "Why, yes! Why not, since it is true?" "Of course, but then you know so many young ladies hide their feelings. I mean suppression of all emotion is considered so necessary in a woman in these days." "Suppression!" and she laughed heartily. "Now do you think that I could ever be suppressed?" "No, indeed, and certainly I hope that you never will be. But if you have not been lonely, perhaps you have thought some of that other subject, love, I mean." "Oh! That!" "Yes. That is one question, supreme to me, about which I wish to have your views. Do you think you would be happier or unhappier,--if you were married?" "That is a question. It would depend upon--my husband, would it not?" "Suppose that we were----" "Don't call names, please. I couldn't suppose such a thing. I have promised not to." "Promised not to, I don't understand?" "I mean that I have made a bet. You don't think I am horrid to bet, do you? Of course you don't. Well, I have made a curious bet with Bob, Mr. Mitchel, you know. I call him Bob now, and I used to do it sometimes before. That was when I wanted him to do anything for me. It made him feel like one of the family. Well, to tell you about my bet. You see, sometimes, when Emily was out, Bob would play make love to me. He said it would be good practice for me; would teach me the ways of the world and all that sort of thing. Oh! Bob is a curious man, but he is great sport. Don't you like him?" "Immensely. But you have not told me yet about your bet." "I am coming to it. Well, one day when he was making love to me, and I was doing my best, suddenly he burst out laughing, and said: 'Dora, I'll bet you'll be engaged within six months of our marriage.' 'How much?' said I. 'As much as you like,' said he. I asked him if he would make it a thousand dollars, and he whistled and called me a little gambler. But I don't think it was gambling, because I was to have a certainty. Of course I wanted the stake to be a large one. So it was agreed, and he wrote it down on paper. I'll show it to you sometime if you like. If I am not engaged before the 1st of January, Bob will have to pay me a thousand dollars." "And you mean to win that bet?" "Indeed I do. I am young and can afford to wait that long, I am sure. There will be time enough afterwards to get a husband." "Then it would not make any difference how anxious a suitor might be to have his reply at once?"