"Yes, I do," he answered, "when I happen to come in contact with it, which is seldom. They are careful not to offend others to whom the vapor is unpleasant. Elodia is very delicate in these matters; she is fond of the vapor habit, but she allows no suggestion of it to cling to her garments or vitiate her breath." "It must be a great care to deodorize herself," I returned, with ill-concealed contempt. "That is her maid's business," said he. "Is it not injurious to health?" I asked. "Quite so; it often induces frightful diseases, and is sometimes fatal to life even." "And yet they persist in it! I should think you would interfere in your sister's case." "Well," said he, "the evils which attend it are really no greater than those that wait upon the tobacco habit; and, as I smoke, I can't advise with a very good grace. I have a sort of blind faith that these good cigars of mine are not going to do me any harm,--though I know they have harmed others; and I suppose Elodia reasons in the same friendly way with her vapor cup." The train stood on the track ready to start. I was about to spring up the steps of the last car when Severnius stopped me. "Not that one," he said; "that is the woman's special." I stepped back, and read the word _Vaporizer_,--printed in large gilt letters,--bent like a bow on the side of the car. "Do you mean to tell me, Severnius," I exclaimed, "that the railroad company devotes one of these magnificent coaches exclusively to the use of persons addicted to the obnoxious habit we have been speaking of?" "That is about the size of it," he returned,--he borrowed the phrase from me. "Come, make haste, or we shall be left; the next car is the smoker; we'll step into that and finish these cigars, after which I'll show you what sumptuous parlor coaches we have." As we mounted to the platform I could not resist glancing into the _Vaporizer_. There were only two or three ladies there, and one of them held in her ungloved hand the little cup with the tortuous stem which my friend had described to me. From it there issued a pale blue smoke or vapor, and oh! the smell of it! I held my breath and hurried after Severnius. "That is the most outrageous, abominable thing I ever heard of!" I declared, as we entered the smoker and took our seats. "O, it is nothing," he returned, smiling; "you are a very fastidious fellow. I saw you look into that car; did you observe the lady in blue?" "I should think I did! she was in the act," I replied. "And I recognized her, too; she is that Madam Claris you introduced me to in the Auroras' Temple, is she not?" "Yes; but did you notice her cup?" "Not particularly."