"Felise, do you sleep well at night?" she inquires, abruptly.
"Why should I not?" the girl asks, turning her head away.
"I do not know; but there is a haggardness and restlessness about you as if you didn't sleep much. I fancy you are getting nervous and wakeful brooding over this revenge of yours. Your face has grown wan and your eyes quite wild. Take care of yourself or you will lose your beauty."
"Never mind, mother; when we go to Paris next year I will go to one of those wonderful women there and have myself made beautiful forever."
"To Paris? Do you really mean it, Felise? I thought you said the last time we went abroad that you were tired of it and never meant to go again."
"I have changed my mind, mother. That is the privilege of the fair sex, you know."
"I suppose you have some motive in this change of mind, Felise."
"Yes. I have. I want to be on hand when Mrs. Carlyle comes forth from her finishing school. I have a fancy to see her after the polishing process is completed."
She laughs softly to herself as if something pleasant has occurred to her.
"Well, well, have your own way about it, my dear—you always do. But I wish you could forget the Carlyles and enjoy life better. We have everything to make it enjoyable, and if you wanted to marry, why you could buy almost anyone you wanted with our wealth."