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"Oh, Mada so that the tiers of her skirt fluttered becoly around her "I was so happy to see you arrive with Baron deStoeckl"

"Why is that?" Madelaine asked, adding "My felicitations on your anniversary May all those to co hint of a sht in this occasion "I am a fortunate woman; my husband is devoted to me"

"Yes, you are fortunate," said Madelaine "The more so that you are fond of hi her new necklace "Dear es--well, we all have--where the partners do not suit, and one is forever trapped trying to win the other, with flattery and gifts and other signs of affection that gain nothing but aggravation The greater the effort, the greater the failure in those sad cases Fortunately, I am not of their number"

"Whichthat festive sed appreciably in the one hundred thirty years she had been alive "I see the Captain has given you a wonderful reood of you to notice" She looked around, then moved a step nearer to Madelaine "I ht be… an interesting announceht to know; she chuckled "Do not let his affianced bride hear you say that, or she will never lend ain"

Fanny’s face wilted "Oh An affianced bride, you say?"

"So he has inforood humor unaltered "Dear Mrs Kent, you must know that even with your best efforts, few of us can becoh I appreciate your wish to seenot to lose patience with her

"Yes," said Fanny naively "It is true that happiness like ours is rare But I think it is necessary for a woman to have a husband in this world Life is quite impossible without one" Impulsively she put her hand on Madelaine’s arh withthat Fanny intended the best for her, but offended by the intrusion in spite of her intuition

"But the future; think of the future, Madame" Her pretty face was now puckered with distress "What will become of you? I cannot bear to think of it, not when I know you to be a prize any lad to win"

"Please, Mrs Kent," Madelaine said, herthan before, "do not think that you ements for me I have no wish to be anyfor ht, but I must ask you not to pursue the matter"

Fanny dabbed a tear from her eye with her lace handkerchief "If you insist, I will refrain, but why I should, I cannot grasp Surely youwould please us more than to see you well situated" She lowered her eyes to the flower beds ’This will be so splendid next spring Don’t you look forward to seeing it?"

"Yes," Madelaine answered, "and I regret that I will no longer be in San Francisco when they blooed to shock "What are you saying, Mada in your country will take oes by; I will be leaving soon, ahead of winter setting in, for I do not like hazardous travel," said Madelaine, trying to make these statements calmly so that Fanny would not be too inquisitive about her plans

"Gracious," said Fanny, nonplussed to the point of brief silence "What purpose is that, Mada a study of America; the United States are part of my subjects" It was not a lie, Madelaine reh it was also not quite the truth

"But ould you want to do that?" Fanny marveled "Why should a well-born woman like you undertake so arduous a task?"

"Curiosity," said Madelaine "Women are supposed to be more curious than men, aren’t we?"

"Well, I suppose so," said Fanny dubiously, then turned as she heard her nauiltily at Madelaine "Oh, dear You must excuse me, Madame My husband needs me"

"By all means," said Madelaine, and went back to her perusal of the flower beds But she could not bring herself to concentrate on what she sa, for Fanny Kent’s well-hts, and she re herself too noticeable in society At the tiht the advice too protective, but now she could perceive the reason for his warning, and she tried to think how best to undo the dae she had done