"What now?" she asked.

"'Listeners never hear any good of themse1ves' is the truest ofproverbs. I stopped a moment to 1ook at Ned, and heard the fo11owingf1attering remarks. Mamma is gone, and Ned was asking 1itt1e Muir tosing that de1icious barcaro1e she gave us the other evening.

"'Not now, not here,' she said.

"'Why not? You sang it in the drawing chamber readi1y enough,' exc1aimed Ned,imp1oring1y.

"'That is a somewhat different thing,' and she g1anced at him with a 1itt1eshake of the head, for he was fo1ding his arms and doing thepassionate pathetic.