bias towards the views and feelings of the majority? And Althea felt, with a rather sharp satisfaction, that it would give her some pleasure to show Franklin that she differed from him; that she had other tastes than his, other needs--needs which Helen more than satisfied. She had no opportunity that night for fathoming Helen's impressions of Franklin, and indeed felt that the task was a delicate one to undertake. If Helen didn't volunteer them she could hardly ask for them. Loyalty to Franklin and to the old bond between them, to say nothing of the new, made it unfit that Helen should know that her impressions of Franklin were of any weight with her friend. But the next morning Helen did not come down to breakfast, and there was no reason why, in a stroll round the garden with Franklin afterwards, she should not be point blank; the only unfairness here was that in his opinion of Helen it would not be Helen he judged, but himself. 'How do you like her, my new friend?' she asked. Franklin was very willing to talk and had already clear impressions. The clearest was the one he put at once before her in the vernacular he had never taken the least pains to modify. 'She looks sick; I'd be worried about her if I were you. Can't you rouse her?' 'Rouse her? She is always like that. Only she was particularly tired last night.' 'A healthy young woman oughtn't to get so tired. If she's always like that she always needs rousing.' 'Don't be ridiculous, Franklin. What do you mean?' 'Why, I'm perfectly serious. I think she looks sick. She ought to take tonics and a lot of outdoor exercise.' 'Is that all that you can find to say about her?' Althea asked, half amused and half indignant. 'Why no,' Franklin replied. 'I think she's very attractive; she has a great deal of poise. Only she's half alive. I'd like to see her doing something.' 'It's enough for her to be, I think.' 'Enough for you, perhaps; but is it enough for her? She'd be a mighty lot happier if she had some work.' 'Really, Franklin, you are absurd,' said Althea laughing. 'There is room in the world, thank goodness, for other people besides people who work.' 'Oh no, there isn't; not really. The trouble with the world is that they're here and have to be taken care of; there's not room for them. It's lovely of you to care so much about her,' he went on, turning his bright gaze upon her. 'I see how you care for her. It's because of that--for her sake, you know--what it can mean to her--that I emphasise the side that needs looking after. You look after her, Althea; that'll be the best thing that can happen to her.' With all his acuteness, how guileless he was, the dear! She saw herself 'looking after' Helen! 'You might have a great deal of influence on her,' Franklin added.