"Olaf, I am embarrassed by such fulsome eulogy. Mrs. Rabbet isn't a day under forty-nine. And you consider me _somewhat_ better-looking than she is!" He inspected her critically, and was confirmed in his opinion. "Olaf"--coaxingly--"do you really think I am as ugly as that?" "Pouf!" said the colonel airily; "I dare say you are well enough." "Olaf"--and this was even more cajoling--"do you know you've never told me what sort of a woman you most admire?" "I don't admire any of them," said Colonel Musgrave, stoutly. "They are too vain and frivolous--especially the pink-and-white ones," he added, unkindlily. "Cousin Agatha has told me all about your multifarious affairs of course. She depicts you as a sort of cardiacal buccaneer and visibly gloats over the tale of your enormities. She is perfectly dear about it. But have you never--_cared_--for any woman, Olaf?" Precarious ground, this! His eyes were fixed upon her now. And hers, for doubtless sufficient reasons, were curiously intent upon anything in the universe rather than Rudolph Musgrave. "Yes," said he, with a little intake of the breath; "yes, I cared once." "And--she cared?" asked Miss Stapylton. She happened, even now, not to be looking at him. "She!" Rudolph Musgrave cried, in real surprise. "Why, God bless my soul, of course she didn't! She didn't know anything about it." "You never told her, Olaf?"--and this was reproachful. Then Patricia said: "Well! and did she go down in the cellar and get the wood-ax or was she satisfied just to throw the bric-à-brac at you?" And Colonel Musgrave laughed aloud.