"My daughter was a very pretty girl,"--she said--"Her father and I were proud of her looks and her charm of manner. We spared every shilling we could to give her the best and most careful education--and we surrounded her with as much pleasure and comfort at home as possible,--but at the first experience of 'society,' and the flattery of strangers, she left us. Her choice of a husband was most unfortunate--but she would not listen to our advice, though we had loved her so much--she thought 'he' loved her more." Morgana lifted her eyes. The "fey" light was glittering in them. "Yes! She thought he loved her! That's what many a woman thinks--that 'he'--the particular 'he' loves her! But how seldom he does! How much more often he loves himself!" "You must not be cynical, my dear!" said Lady Kingswood, gently--"Life is certainly full of disappointments, especially in love and marriage--but we must endure our sorrows patiently and believe that God does everything for the best." This was the usual panacea which the excellent lady offered for all troubles, and Morgana smiled. "Yes!--it must be hard work for God!" she said--"Cruel work! To do everything for the best and to find it being turned into the worst by the very creatures one seeks to benefit, must be positive torture! Well, dear 'Duchess,' I asked you all these questions about love and marriage just to know if you could say anything that might alter my views--but you have confirmed them. I feel that there is no such thing in the world as the love _I_ want--and marriage without it would be worse than any imagined hell. So I shall not marry." Lady Kingswood's face expressed a mild tolerance. "You say that just now"--she said--"But I think you will alter your mind some day! You would not like to be quite alone always--not even in the Palazzo d'Oro." "YOU are quite alone?" "Ah, but I am an old woman, my dear! I have lived my day!" "That's not true," said Morgana, decisively--"You have not 'lived your day' since you are living NOW! And if you are old, that is just a reason why you should NOT be alone. But you ARE. Your husband is dead, and your daughter has other ties. So even marriage left you high and dry on the rocks as it were till my little boat came along and took you off them!" "A very welcome little boat!" said Lady Kingswood, with feeling--"A rescue in the nick of time!" "Never mind that!" and Morgan waved her pretty hand expressively--"My point is that marriage--just marriage--has not done much for you. It is what women clamour for, and scheme for,--and nine out of ten regret the whole business when they have had their way. There are so many more things in life worth winning!" Lady Kingswood looked at her interestedly. She made a pretty picture just then in her white morning gown, seated in a low basket chair with pale blue silk cushions behind her on which her golden head rested with the brightness of a daffodil.