How we all act in this world. Here were four people, each with individual ideas regarding the situation, and yet they chatted about the weather, the crops, the country--about everything except what they were thinking about. Mrs. Belswin and Toby did most of the talking, but Kaituna and Archie put in a word every now and then for the sake of appearances. At last the young men took their departure, and when left alone with Kaituna, Mrs. Belswin drew her caressingly to her breast. "I like your prince, my dear." "I don't." "Oh, Kaituna, you've been quarrelling." "I haven't! He has! He doesn't understand me." "Does a man ever understand a woman?" "Of course! If he loves her." "Then in this case there ought to be no misunderstanding, for I am sure he loves you." "Oh, do you think so? Do you really think so?" "My dear," said Mrs. Belswin, as the girl hid her face on the breast of the chaperon, "I am quick at judging a man. All women are. It's instinct. I think Mr. Maxwell an honourable young fellow, and very charming. He would make you a good husband, but your father will never consent to your marrying a poor man." "Oh, you don't know papa." "Don't I?" said Mrs. Belswin grimly, and closed the discussion. This was one side of the question--and the other? "We have," said Archie, in deep despair, "been to the Garden of Hesperides, and the dragon has beaten us?" "Have you quarrelled with your mash?" asked Toby, leaving allegory for common sense. "My mash! Toby, you are growing vulgar. I did not quarrel with Kaituna, but we had words." "Several hundred, I should think. What was the row?" "How coarse you are!" said the refined Archie. "There was no row. I spoke of myself in the third person." "When there are only two people, and those are of the opposite sex, you shouldn't introduce a third person. Well, what did you say?" "I asked her whether she would accept a poor man if he proposed to her." "And she said?" "She said 'no.'" Archie's face was tragic in its deep gloom, so Toby comforted him. "Old boy!" "Yes," said the despairing lover. "She said she didn't mean it." "What! Did she say that to you?" "Yes." "Toby," cried Archie, with great fervour, "I love that girl!" "So you've said a hundred times." "And I'll marry her!" "Oh, will you?" said Toby, grinning. "I can paint your future: a little cottage, a nice income, a charming girl----" "Yes, yes!" "Don't you wish you may get it?" "Oh, Toby, if you only knew----" "I do know. I know all about it, so don't rhapsodise. And I know another thing; I'm hungry, so hurry up." CHAPTER VIII. MRS. BELSWIN'S CORRESPONDENCE. "The wisest of plans A letter upsets, The penny post bans The wisest of plans Tho' woman's tho' man's, And then one regrets The wisest of plans A letter upsets."