i8o BY ORDER OF THE CZAR.
future, but, as the song says, if he does not care for me what care I how fair he be."
" In the first place the song does not say anything of the kind," Jenny replied, " and in the next place please to remember that you are engaged to be his wife, and that all London knows it that is, all that part of London that we care anything about."
" My dearest sis, it is of no good your lecturing me. I was born under a merry star, and nothing is going to make me sad."
" Oh, don't say that, dear ; it is like a challenge to Heaven ! "
" I was going to say nothing was going to make me sad except old age," went on Dolly, defiantly. lt I mean to enjoy my life, and I am sure Heaven does not desire any of us to do otherwise so long as we fulfil our duties, visit the poor, ga regularly to church, bear no malice, and covet no man's goods, neither his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is his."
Jenny had never seen Dolly in so curious a mood, and did not quite know what to make of it.
- ' I mean to enjoy my life," her sister continued, "and
if Philip Forsyth likes to enjoy it with me he is welcome. I have accepted his proposal of partnership, but if he is going to be stiff about it, and formal, neglectful, proud, or grumpy, I can't help it ; he will find he is not going to make me unhappy at all events without a struggle on my part to be happy."
" A struggle, dear!" said Jenny. "Happiness is not obtained by struggling ; it comes of itself, free and bright like a summer morning ; you don't get it by fighting and wrangling. I do not understand you to-day, unless it is that you are really troubling about Philip ; that you care for him a great deal more than you would for some strange reason have me believe,"
