'The first of my difficulties,' said Armorel, 'is that I do not. I imagined when she came that it mattered nothing about her. You see, I have been for five years under masters and teachers, and I never thought anything about them outside the lesson. I thought my companion would be only another master. But she isn't. I have her company at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And all the evening. I think I am wrong not to like her, because she is always good-tempered. Somehow, she jars upon me. She likes everything I do not care about--comic operas, dance music, French novels. She has no feeling for pictures, and her taste in literature is ... not mine. Oh, I am talking scandal. And she is so perfectly inoffensive. Mostly she lies by the fire and either dozes or reads her French novels. All day long, I go about my devices. But there is the evening.' 'This is rather unfortunate, Armorel, is it not?' 'If it were only for a month or two, one would not mind. Tell me, Philippa, how long must I have a companion?' Philippa laughed. 'I dare say the question may solve itself before long. Women generally achieve independence--with the wedding ring--unless that brings worse slavery.' 'No,' said Armorel, gravely, 'I shall not achieve independence that way.' 'Not that way?' 'Not by marrying!' 'Why not, Armorel?' 'You will not laugh at me, Philippa? I learned a long time ago that I could only marry one kind of man. And now I cannot find him.' 'You did know such a man formerly? My dear, you are not going to let a childish passion ruin your own life.' 'I knew a man who was, in my mind, this kind of man. He came across my life for two or three weeks. When he went away I kept his image in my mind, and it gradually grew as I grew--always larger and more beautiful. The more I learned--the more splendid grew this image. It was an Idol that I set up and worshipped for five long years.' 'And now your Idol is shattered?' 'No; the Idol remains. It is the man, who no longer corresponds to the Idol. The man who might have become this wonderful Image is gone--and I can never love any other man. He must be my Idol in the body.' 'But, Armorel, this is unreal. We are not angels. Men and women must take each other with their imperfections.' 'My Idol may have had his imperfections, too. Well, the man has gone. I am punished, perhaps, for setting up an Idol.' She was silent for awhile, and Philippa had nothing to say. 'But about my companion?' Armorel went on. 'When can I do without one?' 'There is nothing but opinion to consider. Opinion says that a young lady must not live alone.' 'If one never hears what opinion says, one need not consider opinion perhaps.' 'Well, but you could not go into society alone.' 'That matters nothing, because I never go into society at all.' 'Never go into society at all? What do you mean?' 'I mean that we go nowhere.' 'Well, what are people about? They call upon you, I suppose?' 'No; nobody ever calls.'