"Simply this," she replied. "What is it which interests you so much inMrs. Chester?"

I looked at her in astonishment. "Truly," I exclaimed, "that is aremarkable question."

"I know it," she replied, "and I suppose you are saying to yourself,'Here is a girl who has known me less than three days, and yet sheasks me to tell her about my feeling towards another woman.' But,really, it seems to me that as you have not known that other womanthree days, as much friendship and confidence might spring up in theone case as affection in the other."

"Affection!" exclaimed I. "Have I exclaimed anything about affection?"

"No, you have not," she said in reply; "and if there isn't any affection, ofcourse that ends this special study on my part."