vague golden air that left irritation below. That
was the great thing with Milly it was her charac
teristic poetry; or at least it was Susan Shepherd s.
"But she made a point," the former continued, " of
my keeping what she says from Kate. I'm not to
mention that she has spoken."

"And why," Mrs. Stringham presently asked, " is
Mr. Densher so dreadful?"

Milly had, she thought, an hesitation something
that suggested a fuller talk with Mrs. Condrip than
she inclined perhaps to report. " It isn't so much
he himself." Then the girl spoke a little as for the
romance of it; one could never tell, with her, where
romance would come in. " It's the state of his
fortunes."

"And is that very bad?"

"He has no private means," and no prospect of
any. He has no income, and no ability, according
to Mrs. Condrip, to make one. He's as poor, she
calls it, as poverty, and she says she knows what
that is."

Again Mrs. Stringham considered, and it pres
ently produced something. " But isn't he brilliantly
clever?"

Milly had also then an instant that was not quite
fruitless. " I haven't the least idea."

To which, for the time, Susie only answered
"Oh! " though by the end of a minute she had fol
lowed it with a slightly musing " I see "; and that in
turn with: " It's quite what Maud Lowder thinks."

[[214]]

p213 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p214w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p215

v?