Page 68 (1/1)

I supposeof

Miss Sharp--Alathea--that shall be her name always for me now--

"Nicholas!" Nina exclaimed--"My dear boy, of course you are in love!"

"And if so?"

Instantly I became of more value to Nina--she realized that she had lost

me, and that soh Nina

is the best sort in the world and more or less really in love with Jirow in our friendship if I wished to

encourage it--Nina's fighting instinct had been aroused to try to get me

back!

"Who with?" she demanded laconically

"With a dream--"

"Nonsense! you are much too cynical--Is it anyone I know?"

"I should not think so--she has not , my dear old boy!"

"So you think I'll have a chance then?"

"Certainly when you are all finished"

"My new eye is to be in before Christets straighter every day!"

Nina laughed--

"Real love would be--I suppose--if you could make her adore you before

you looked any handso after she had gone, and

often in the night I could not sleep, I felt so to take Miss Sharp--Alathea--fro in fretful drea of love words between a woman and a child--