'What can one do but laugh, when one gets to the end of one's wits?' said the girl, as if she thought it needed explanation. 'Olaf,— do you remember the time when you drew my portrait as all hat and wild bushes? I begin to be afraid it was not a caricature, after all.' 'I am afraid it was. Your representative was hardly gracious or graceful, if I remember.' 'Didn't I know what you were thinking of me that day!' said Hazel smiling at the recollection. 'But in serious truth, that is what I have liked, and what I have done. I have been wayward and wild and untrained and unpruned,—and then, upon all that I have hung every pretty thing I could get together. And I don't know what will be left of me when I am made over all new. Olaf,' she went on gravely, 'I do understand your harmony,—I see how perfect it is, taking in all the lowest notes as well as the highest, whereas mine covered only the poor little octave of my own life. I do see that every part of one's life ought to be in tone with every bit of outside work and life-need and life-demand that can ever come. And I know that only _un_fixedness of heart can make any discord. But there my knowledge ends!' And Hazel leaned her cheek softly against his arm, and looked up wistfully. 'How much more knowledge do you want just now?' 'Where to begin.' 'We will begin with one of those trunks to-morrow. I have a presentiment, that if you do not fill it, I shall.' Hazel shook her head. 'I fancy I have enough extravagance now on hand to last me some time,' she said. 'Unless you prefer that I should come down—or come up!—gradually, and not with a jump.' 'Neither come down nor come up. Only go forward keeping the harmony we have chosen to walk in. I am so ignorant of all but men's dress! or perhaps I could speak more intelligibly. But in general, seek your old ends, of beauty and fitness—only looking to see that things more precious are not pushed out of the way by them, or for them.' CHAPTER XXVI. AN ACCOUNT AT THE BANK. 'Duchess,' said Rollo the next morning at breakfast, 'which cabinet maker is to have the honour of your patronage?' 'I suppose it is not fair to do people good against their will,' said Hazel. 'If Prim would like the common one—and the money— best, she must have that. But I shall let her know _she_ chose it.' 'You would not like to be suspected of having practised economy?' 'Not unjustly.' 'How is that an unjust suspicion, which is founded on fact?' 'I am not practising economy a bit. Prim wants a secretary—and you say she would like that best.' 'Excuse me! I said she would like that and the hundred and fifty dollars best; and you will practise economy to give them to her. Nicht?' 'Not at all. Only self-denial. I never did buy ugly things, and I don't like it.' 'Self-denial is almost as good as economy, and one step towards it. But I would remark, that economy and ugly things have no necessary connection.'