“My dear, I don’t expect anything! Who was it that said: ‘Blessed are they that expect nothing, for they shall not be disappointed’? The chief point I have now to dwell upon is, that I am to all intents and purposes _Dead!_ and, being dead, I’m free!--almost as free as if my spirit had really escaped from its mortal prison. Really, there’s something quite vitalising in the situation!--just now I feel ready for anything. I shouldn’t mind trying an airship voyage to the moon!” “With Dr. Dimitrius?” suggested Sophy, laughing. “Well, I don’t know anything about Dr. Dimitrius yet,” answered Diana. “Judging from his advertisement I imagine he is some wealthy ‘crank’ who fancies himself a scientist. There are any amount of them wandering about the world at the present time. I shall soon be able to tell whether he’s a humbug or an honest man,--whether he’s mad or sane--meanwhile, dear little Sophy, let’s have breakfast and then go shopping. We’ve done with Pa and Ma--at any rate _I_ have, bless their dear old hearts!--we know they’re ‘stunned with grief and horror’ and ‘beside themselves’ and as happy in their ‘misery’ as they ever were in their lives. I can see my mother getting fitted for her mourning, and ‘Pa’ arguing with the hatter as to the proper width of his hat-band, and all the neighbours calling, and proffering ‘sympathy’ when they don’t care a scrap! It’s a curious little humbug of a world, Sophy!--but for the remainder of my time I’ll try to make it of use to me. Only you’ll have to lend me some money to begin upon!” “Any amount you want!” said Sophy, enthusiastically--“You must have proper clothes to travel in!” “I _must_,” agreed Diana, with humorously dramatic emphasis. “I haven’t had any since I was ‘withdrawn’ from the matrimonial market for lack of bidders. Mother used to spend hundreds on me so long as there was any hope--I had the prettiest frocks, the daintiest hats,--and in these I ‘radiated’ at all the various shows,--Ranelagh, Hurlingham, Henley, Ascot, Goodwood,--how sick I used to be of it! But when these little crowsfeet round my eyes began to come”--and she touched her temples expressively--“then poor, disappointed Ma drew in the purse-strings. She found that very ‘young’ hats didn’t suit me--delicate sky-pinks and blues made me look sallow,--so she and Pa decided on giving me an ‘allowance’--too meagre to stand the cost of anything but the plainest garments--and--so, here I am! Pa says ‘only very young people should wear white’--but the vain old boy got himself up in white flannels the other day to play tennis and thought he looked splendid! But what’s the odds, so long as he’s happy!”