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 an occasional illusion. It makes one think kindly of one's self as well as of others."

"Besides," Victoria went on, occupied with her own chain of thought, "he keeps my mind too busy when we are together; I have no leisure to think of anything but the subject in hand. And I've always observed that to fall in love with a person, there must be a possibility of an occasional silence, or, at least, a lull: then one's senses begin to take note. But with a person who keeps your intellect continually occupied, there is no leisure for emotions. That's why you see so many clever people fall in love with stupid ones, or those for whom they are entirely unfitted."

"Why don't you give lectures on the tender passion?" asked Mrs. Durham, with fine irony.

"Because," returned Victoria, "I should probably champion the idea of return-tickets, good for six months, for matrimonial explorers. How on earth does a person know whether he likes a country he has never seen? And from what I have known of my friends who have settled in the holy united states of matrimony, I think they all regret not having had the land prospected." 171