'You do not like them?' said Dane, surveying the one in hand with its enclosed photograph of Dannecker's Ariadne. 'Why don't you have handsomer ones?' 'Economy.' 'You cannot mean it.' 'Nevertheless—it is true.' 'You, who have such loads of money? —' 'To use, as I told you,' said Dane, smiling now. 'The engravings and photographs are both pleasure and education. I do not find either the one or the other in gilded stucco.' 'Well, have them carved, then.' 'Can't afford it, as I said.' 'But my dear Dane! are you going to regulate your whole household on such principles?' Dane answered with the most matter-of-fact manner, that it was his intention. 'But I should think elegant frames would come under the head of pleasure.' 'They would not, to me, when I thought of the money they cost.' 'But Dane! with your means! Do you know what people will say of you?' 'I know,' he answered. 'The world will always find a nice name for a fellow that does not go by its rules.' 'You are so obstinate!' said the lady. 'You always were. Nothing _I_ could say would ever move you. I shall get Arthur to talk to you. But what does your wife think of your doings?' Dane was silent, only the corner of his mouth began to play. 'She has stockings on this minute that cost five dollars a pair, if they cost a penny. How does that fit with your wooden picture frames?' Dane rose and rang the bell. 'You must be tired, Prudentia,' he said without the change of a muscle. 'And Prim is, I know. I shall send you to bed to get a good night's sleep, for you have a great deal to do to-morrow.' Mrs. Coles did not know how to answer. And the servant appearing, Rollo ordered candles, and himself went with the ladies to the door of their room. There he took leave of Prim, whose face had clouded painfully, with a whispered word which brought a flush of pleasure back to it. It was not yet late. The little travelling clock was only ringing its ten musical silver peals, as Dane came back into the room. Wych Hazel was still standing as the ladies had left her, looking absently down at the picture frame. Dane came silently up and stood beside her. 'Do you think I shall ever stop being perverse?' she said abruptly. 'How are you perverse now?' he asked in a very disengaged tone. 'I have been pretty nearly as perverse as I could be, all these two days!' said Wych Hazel. 'Fighting everybody and everything. I dressed just as much as good taste would let me, because I never can put your friend down in a plain dress. And I have answered five hundred questions.—And I never thought about stockings in that way.—I thought one must have stockings!—' said Hazel, putting out her dainty foot and looking down at it ruefully. But then the brown eyes came eagerly back to him. 'Do you think I shall, Olaf?' she repeated.