and they bore me."

"That's a point in your education I am going to take up later," remarked
Mr. Halloway, cheerfully. "The art of not being bored by people. Once
acquired, the other, that of not boring them, follows of itself. Society
hangs on it."

"I wish you would teach me that right away," said Phebe, earnestly. "I
believe I need that more than any thing else."

"Well, I will, immediately,--after supper, that is. I am exhausted now
with ministerial duties. You have asked Miss Phebe to tea have you not,
Soeur Angélique? You cannot stay? Oh, but of course you must."

"Of course she will," said Mrs. Whittridge, with her tender smile.
"Phebe only lives to give pleasure to others. Now tell me something about
your friends. Who are they?"

"I haven't any here. Mr. Halloway is quite right," answered Phebe,
locking her hands over one of Mrs. Whittridge's. "Not real, real friends.
As a child I had ever so many, and Bell Masters and I quite grew up
together, but somehow we have all grown away from each other, and--oh, I
don't know!--it seems as if there wasn't any thing in the girls here. Not
that there's more in me. They are brighter and better than I in every
way, but we don't get on together; they don't seem to have any thing to
give me, any thing they can help me to. I can't get at them. Oh! Mr.
Halloway is quite right. In all Joppa I haven't a single friend--except
just you and him."

"We are indeed your friends," said Mrs. Whittridge. "You need never