It was a day or two after they returned that Phyllis was leaning on the window-sill in the drawing-room, watching a passing shower, and admiring the soft bright tints of a rainbow upon the dark gray mass of cloud. ‘I do set my bow in the cloud,’ repeated she to herself over and over again, until Adeline entering the room, she eagerly exclaimed, ‘Oh Ada, come and look at this beautiful rainbow, green, and pink, and purple. A double one, with so many stripes, Ada. See, there is a little bit more green.’ ‘There is no green in a rainbow,’ said Ada. ‘But look, Ada, that is green.’ ‘It is not real green. Blue, red, and yellow are the pragmatic colours,’ said Ada, with a most triumphant air. ‘Now are not they, Maurice?’ said she, turning to her brother, who was, as usual, deep in entomology. ‘Pragmatic, you foolish child,’ said he. ‘Prismatic you mean. I am glad you remember what I tell you, however; I think I might teach you some science in time. You are right in saying that blue, red, and yellow are the prismatic colours. Now do you know what causes a rainbow?’ ‘It is to show there is never to be another flood,’ said Phyllis, gravely. ‘Oh, I did not mean that,’ said Maurice, addressing himself to Ada, whose love of hard words made him deem her a promising pupil, and whom he could lecture without interruption. ‘The rainbow is caused by—’ ‘But, Maurice!’ exclaimed Phyllis, remaining with mouth wide open. ‘The rainbow is occasioned by the refraction of the rays of the sun in the drops of water of which a cloud is composed.’ ‘But, Maurice!’ again said Phyllis. ‘Well, what do you keep on “but, Mauricing,” about?’ ‘But, Maurice, I thought it said, “I do set my bow in the cloud.” Is not that right? I will look.’ ‘I know that, but I know the iris, or rainbow, is a natural phenomenon occasioned by the refraction.’ ‘But, Maurice, I can’t bear you to say that;’ and poor Phyllis sat down and began to cry. Ada interfered. ‘Why, Maurice, you believe the Bible, don’t you?’ This last speech was heard by Lilias, who just now entered the room, and greatly surprised her. ‘What can you be talking of?’ said she. ‘Only some nonsense of the children’s,’ said Maurice, shortly. ‘But only hear what he says,’ cried Ada. ‘He says the rainbow was not put there to show there is never to be another flood!’ ‘Now, Lily,’ said Maurice, ‘I do not think there is much use in talking to you, but I wish you to understand that all I said was, that the rainbow, or iris, is a natural phenomenon occasioned by the refraction of the solar—’ ‘You will certainly bewilder yourself into something dreadful with that horrid science,’ said Lily. ‘What is the matter with Phyl?’ ‘Only crying because of what I said,’ answered Maurice. ‘So childish, and you are just as bad.’ ‘But do you mean to say,’ exclaimed Lily, ‘that you set this human theory above the authority of the Bible?’ ‘It is common sense,’ said Maurice; ‘I could make a rainbow any day.’