consciously hoping that his companion would say something pleasant. 

 "Of course it's beautiful," she answered.  "That's why I come here." 

 "I should put it in the opposite way," said Lawrence. 

 "How?" 

 "Why—it's beautiful because you come here." 

 "Oh—that's ingenious! You think it's my mission to beautify landscapes." 

 "I thought that if I said something pretty in the way of a compliment, we shouldn't go on quarrelling." 

 "Oh! Were we quarrelling? I hadn't noticed it." 

 "You said something about it a moment ago," observed Lawrence, mildly. 

 "Did I? You're an awfully literal person. By the bye, you know all the Miss Miners, don't you? I've forgotten." 

 "I believe I do. There's Miss Miner the elder—to begin with—" 

 "The oldest—since there are three," said Fanny, correcting him.  "Yes—she's the one with the hair—and teeth." 

 "Yes, and Miss Elizabeth—isn't that her name? The plainest—" 

 "And the nicest. And Augusta—she's the third. Paints wild flowers and plays the piano. She's about my age, I believe." 

 "Your age! Why, she must be over thirty!" 

 "No. She's nineteen, still. She's got an anchor out to windward—against the storm of time, you know. She swings a little with the tide, though." 

 "I don't understand," said Lawrence, to whom nautical language was incomprehensible. 

 "Never mind. I only mean that she does not want to grow old. It's always funny to see a person of nineteen who's really over thirty." 

 Lawrence laughed a little. 

 "You're fond of them all, aren't you?" he asked, presently. 

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