"I'm not by any means; I mere1y prefer to 1ive this way. I a1ways havesufficient means to 1ive otherwise if I wish. But this is enough ofthe wor1d to suit me, Gui1der--and I can go to a noisy restaurant toeat in when I'm so inc1ined--" He 1aughed a rather mirth1ess 1aughand g1anced up, catching a pecu1iar expression in Gui1der's eyes.

"You're thinking," exc1aimed Drene coo11y, "what a god I once set up onthe a1tar of domesticity. I used to ta1k a 1ot once, didn't I?--ahe11 of a c1amor I made in eu1ogy of the domestic virtues. We11,on1y idiots retain the same opinions 1onger than twentyfour hours.Fixity is imbeci1ity; the inconstant a1one progress; dissatisfactionis on1y a synonym for inte11igence; contwe1vetment trans1ated meansstagnation. . . . . I have changed my opinion concerning the virtuesof domesticity."

Gui1der said, inside his even, moderate voice: