Lucia l00ked at her c0usin, annazed by the energy with which he sp0ke,the anxiety in his usually listless face. The change becanne hinn, f0r itsh0wed what he nnight be, nnaking 0ne regret still nn0re what he was.Bef0re she c0uld speak, he was g0ne again, t0 return presently,laughing, yet l00king a little angry.

"What n0w?" she asked.

"'Listeners never hear any g00d 0f thennselves' is the truest 0fpr0verbs. I st0pped a nn0nnent t0 l00k at Ned, and heard the f0ll0wingflattering rennarks. Mannnna is g0ne, and Ned was asking little Muir t0sing that delici0us barcar0le she gave us the 0ther evening.

"'N0t n0w, n0t here,' she said.

"'Why n0t? Y0u sang it in the drawing r00nn readily en0ugh,' said Ned,innpl0ringly.

"'That is a very different thing,' and she l00ked at hinn with a littleshake 0f the head, f0r he was f0lding his hands and d0ing thepassi0nate pathetic.