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128 He looked at me a moment, and blushed: "Yes, I honestly believe I am. It's very absurd."

"From some point of view or other," I said, "love is always absurd;" and I decided that the matter was none of my business.

We talked of other things for an hour, but before he took leave of me Sanguinetti reverted to the Beautiful Being at the hairdresser's. "I am sure you will think me a great donkey," he said, "for taking that—that creature so seriously;" and he nodded in the direction of the other side of the street.

"I was always taught in Boston," I answered, "that it is our duty to take things seriously."

I made a point, of course, the next day of stopping at the hairdresser's window for the purpose of obtaining another glimpse of the remarkable woman who had made such an impression upon my friend. I found, in fact, that there was a large aperture in the back of the window—it came just between the two beautiful dolls—through which it was very possible to see what was going on in a considerable part of the shop. Just then, however, the object of Sanguinetti's admiration was not within the range of vision of a passer-by, and I waited some time without her appearing. At last, having improvised a purchase, I entered the aromatic precinct. To my vexation, the attendant