"Listen to the virtuous one," said Clendon, scoffingly. "Oh, my gracious! that my boy should talk such jargon. You don't feel ill, do you, Archie?" "No, I don't," retorted Archie, in a rage, seeing that Kaituna was enjoying this little dialogue with great zest. "I wish you'd be quiet and sing something." "How can I be quiet and sing also?" "Dosing, Mr. Clendon," said Kaituna, with a kind flash of her beautiful eyes at the happy bard. Maxwell suppressed a second naughty word and sat down in dismal silence. "What shall I sing?" asked Toby, running his fingers over the piano. "Something funny." "No, no! Something sentimental," said Kaituna, in a commanding tone, and sat down beside Miss Valpy. Toby cleared his throat, looked up at the ceiling for inspiration, and laughed. "I'll sing a betwixt and between thing." So he did. "She is the dearest of girls I confess, Her milliners' bills are a sight to see; Dearest of girls in the matter of dress, Dearest of girls in the world to me. I lost my heart, but I lost my gold, And hearts without gold are romantic trash; Her love was a thing to be bought and sold, But I couldn't purchase for want of cash. "Now she is spouse to an aged man, He's eighty-five and a trifle frail; Soon he'll finish his life's brief span, Then she'll look for another male. Ah! but love comes not twice in our life, Cupid for ever has passed us by; So if she asked me to make her my wife, I would not marry her, no not I." "Oh!" said Tommy, when the song was ended, "so that's your idea of a woman's love." "Not mine--the world's." "And what about the love which cannot be bought?" asked Kaituna. "Is there such a love?" "Yes, cynic," growled Maxwell in disgust; "true love is not a saleable article. The woman who truly loves a man," here his eye rested on Kaituna, "lets nothing stand in the way of that love. She gives up rank, fortune, everything for his sake." "And what does she receive in return?" demanded Miss Pethram, innocently. "The true joy which arises from the union of two loving hearts." "Very pastoral indeed," said Toby, lightly. "Chloe and Corydon in Arcadia. It once existed, indeed, but now----" "But now," finished Kaituna, rather tired of the discussion, "it is time to retire." Both the gentlemen protested at the ladies going away so early, but Kaituna remained firm, and was supported by Tommy, who said she felt very tired. "Not of us, I hope!" said Toby, meekly. "Thyself hath said it," she replied, holding out her hand. "Good-night." When they were leaving the room, Maxwell, who was escorting Kaituna, bent over and whispered in her ear-- "I won't go to South America." "South America," she repeated, with a pretended look of surprise, "Oh! yes, of course. I forgot all about it, I assure you. Good-night."