"No, but he knows it, or ought to, and of course his art is the thing of first importance to him, so he is working very hard just now."
"Humph!" ejaculated Ethel. "Then tell me honestly and truly, would you marry Cephas Mitchell if he asked you? Honest Injun. It's only fair to me to tell the truth."
Gwen was thoughtful for a moment. "I don't know," she answered finally.
"That doesn't do me any good," said Ethel. "It strikes me that it is a perfectly fair race, but if you don't think so, and really in your heart of hearts feel a consuming desire to be Mrs. Cephas, I'll pull out and try to fall in love with Kenneth. He is a dear, and perhaps there would be enough for the two of us if we were not wildly extravagant."
"You're perfectly horrid!" cried Gwen.
"Dog in a manger yourself," replied Ethel laughing. "Now let us be sensible. I give you twenty-four hours in which to think it over, and in the meantime I promise to be a recluse. I shall walk, talk, row, dance, and sail with none but the girls in all that time. There shall be a cessation of hostilities until to-morrow, and then you must let me know which of the two worthies you are willing to allow me as my lawful prey. You can't take both, and it is perfectly fair that I should have one. I prefer Cephas, but I'll take Kenneth if you discover that you cannot be happy unless you have the steel man for your very own."
"We are taking a good deal for granted," returned Gwen, "when we talk about taking either of them. The taking usually is upon the part of the masculines."
"We must be prepared," returned Ethel with a show of gravity.
Gwen laughed in spite of herself. "Very well," she said, "as it has come to a question of terms I suppose I'll have to give in, and make this a subject of serious consideration, a sort of searching the heart, as they used to say."
"I consider myself very magnanimous," returned Ethel, "to give up twenty-four good hours when every moment is precious. Of course you will do the same, and for the specified time your guns will all be silenced, too."