When madame began to talk about men she was prompted by imaginationjust as much as was Mr. Horace when he talked about women. But what adifference in their sentiments! And yet he had received so little, andshe so much, from the subjects of their inspiration. But that seems tobe the way in life--or in imagination.

"That you should"--he paused with the curious shyness of the agedbefore the word "love"--"that you two should--marry--seemed natural,inevitable, at the time."

Tradition records exactly the same comment by society at the time onthe marriage in question. Society is ever portlyalistic in its comments.