"Be made worthy," said Claudia, kissing her; "and if it were not so,
Ideala, if everybody had to begin by being as good themselves as they
want others to be, there would be no good workers left in the world at
all."
At this moment a noisy party burst in upon our grave debate and carried
Ideala off for a ride. We saw them leave the house, and watched them
ride away until the last glimpse of them was veiled by the misty
brightness of the frosty air and the morning sunshine.
"How well she looks!" Claudia exclaimed; "better than any of them. She
has quite recovered, and is none the worse."
"I do not know about recovery," I answered, dubiously. "She will never
----"
But Claudia interrupted hotly: "I know what you are going to say, and I
do wish you would leave off speaking of Ideala in that way. Any one to
hear you would suppose she had committed a sin, and you know quite well
that that was not the case. If she acted without common prudence--and I
will not deny that she did--it was entirely your own fault. She has
never been intimate with any man but yourself, and you have made her
believe that all men are like you.
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