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"Mercy--"the uselessness of trying to ascribe the actions of foreigners to a sense of delicacy

"I wonder if she wears a round hat or a bonnet in the afternoon," Janey speculated "At the Opera I know she had on dark blue velvet, perfectly plain and flat--like a night-gown"

"Janey!" said her mother; and Miss Archer blushed and tried to look audacious

"It was, at any rate, in better taste not to go to the ball," Mrs Archer continued

A spirit of perversity moved her son to rejoin: "I don't think it was a question of taste with her May said she o, and then decided that the dress in question wasn't sh"

Mrs Archer smiled at this confirmation of her inference "Poor Ellen," she si compassionately: "We -up Medora Manson gave her What can you expect of a girl as allowed to wear black satin at her co-out ball?"

"Ah--don't I reirl!" in the tone of one hile enjoying the ht portended

"It's odd," Janey rely nalanced about the table to see the effect of this

Her brother laughed "Why Elaine?"

"I don't know; it sounds

"It sounds more conspicuous; and that can hardly be what she wishes," said Mrs Archer distantly

"Why not?" broke in her son, growing suddenly argumentative "Why shouldn't she be conspicuous if she chooses? Why should she slink about as if it were she who had disgraced herself? She's 'poor Ellen' certainly, because she had the bad luck to e; but I don't see that that's a reason for hiding her head as if she were the culprit"

"That, I suppose," said Mr Jackson, speculatively, "is the line the Mingottsman reddened "I didn't have to wait for their cue, if that's what you mean, sir Madame Olenska has had an unhappy life: that doesn't an Mr Jackson, glancing at Janey

"Oh, I know: the secretary," the young rown-up They say, don't they," he went on, "that the secretary helped her to get away from her brute of a husband, who kept her practically a prisoner? Well, what if he did? I hope there isn't aus ouldn't have done the same in such a case"