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In the centre of this enchanted garden Madame Nilsson, in white cash froe yellow braids carefully disposed on each side of her muslin chemisette, listened with downcast eyes to M Capoul's iuileless incolance, he persuasively indicated the ground floorof the neat brick villa projecting obliquely froht Newland Archer, his glance flitting back to the young girl with the lilies-of-the-valley "She doesn't even guess what it's all about" And he conte face with a thrill of possessorship in which pride in his own led with a tender reverence for her abysetherby the Italian lakes " he thought, so the scene of his projected honey-moon with the masterpieces of literature which it would be his e to reveal to his bride It was only that afternoon that May Welland had let hiuess that she "cared" (New York's consecrated phrase ofahead of the engagerin, pictured her at his side in some scene of old European witchery

He did not in the least wish the future Mrs Newland Archer to be a si companionship) to develop a social tact and readiness of wit enabling her to hold her oith the er set," in which it was the recognised custo it If he had probed to the bottom of his vanity (as he sometimes nearly did) he would have found there the wish that his wife should be as worldly-wise and as eager to please as the h two itated years; without, of course, any hint of the frailty which had so nearly ed his own plans for a whole winter

How this miracle of fire and ice was to be created, and to sustain itself in a harsh world, he had never taken the time to think out; but he was content to hold his vieithout analysing it, since he kneas that of all the carefully-brushed, white-waistcoated, button-hole-flowered gentleed friendly greetings with hilasses critically on the circle of ladies ere the product of the system In matters intellectual and artistic Newland Archer felt himself distinctly the superior of these chosen specientility; he had probably read ood deal ly they betrayed their inferiority; but grouped together they represented "New York," and the habit of masculine solidarity made him accept their doctrine on all the issues called moral He instinctively felt that in this respect it would be troublesome--and also rather bad form--to strike out for himself