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and good humor. In her own heart she did not quite know which of her two lovers she liked best. In her merriest moods she fancied Sam, who was always "on for fun," as he said; who brought none of his business worries to dinner — a contrast to Philip, who when he had difficulties with his painting managed to cast the reflection of them on the party.
Once in a way, when Dolly had a headache or had been disappointed in the fitting of a dress, or when her sister had not got the box at the opera which Walter had promised for a Patti night, she preferred the society of Phil, who was always more or less ready to be doleful; but she liked him best when she met him out at a "swagger literary party," to quote Sam again, and the conversation turned upon a big subject, political or artistic, and Philip Forsyth came out with some of his strong and well-expressed opinions, and the table became silent to listen, and she heard men say he was a very clever fellow, and how eloquent he was, and how sincere, and how refreshing it was to hear a young man talk well and not be afraid to be honest and even sentimental.
But this was no doubt a matter of pride on Dolly's part, and on these occasions her sister would take the opportunity, just in a delicate way, to let it be known to the biggest gossip in the room that Mr. Forsyth was in love with Dolly, and Dolly would sing like an angel the moment she was asked, and the gossip in question would make an opportunity to remark to his friends what a lucky fellow Forsyth was, and so on. Both Phil and Dolly would be pleased with all this, and so that possible engagement was fostered up to the days of the proposed Venetian trip, the making of which was to settle the one great question of two households, the Milbankes' and Forsyths'; for Lady Forsyth had come to the conclusion that a cheerful wife like Dolly, with an equally cheerful fortune,
