“An Eastern poet said:—

Diving and finding no pearl in the sea,
Blame not the ocean,—the fault is in thee.

Have you ever tried to find a pearl, Miss Walton?”

You hesitated a moment. “Like the Englishman’s view of the conundrum,” you finally parried archly, “that would be a good joke if there only wasn’t something to ‘guess’ in it.”

“Do you know what Maizie is talking about?” demanded Mrs. Blodgett discontentedly.

“Better than Miss Walton does herself, I think,” I averred.

You had started to go, but again you turned, and asked with interest, “What do I mean?”

“That you believe what you think you don’t.”

You stood looking at me for a moment. “We are becoming friends, Dr. Hartzmann,” you affirmed, and passed through the window.

Good-night, dear friend.