ge from Mamie?"

At this he faltered and hung fire.

"Have you been to see her?" she continued.

"I am anxious to know if her goodness and bravery caused her any--any
discomfort at home."

"You may set your mind at rest about that," returned Eugene. "I was
there when the Judge came home to dinner. I suppose you fear he may
have been rough with her for taking my step-brother into the carriage.
He was not. On the contrary, he spoke very quietly to her, and went on
out toward the stables. But I haven't come to you to talk of Judge
Pike, either!"

"No," said Ariel. "I don't care particularly to hear of him, but of
Mamie."

"Nor of her, either!" he broke out. "I want to talk of you!"

There was not mistaking him; no possibility of misunderstanding the
real passion that shook him, and her startled eyes betrayed her
comprehension.

"Yes, I see you understand," he cried, bitterly. "That's because you've
seen others the same way. God help me," he went on, striking his
forehead with his open hand, "that young fool of a Bradbury told me you
refused him only yesterday! He was proud of even rejection from you!
And there's Norbert--and half a dozen others, perhaps, already, since
you've been here." He flung out his arms in ludicrous, savage despair.
"And here am I--"

"Ah yes," she cut him off, "it is of yourself that you want to speak,
after all--not of me!"

"Look here," he vociferated; "are you going to marry that Joe Louden?
I want to know whether you are or not. He gave me this--and this
to-day!" He touched his bandaged hand and plastered forehead. "He ran
into me--over me--for nothing, when I was not on my guard; struck me
down--stamped on me--"

She turned upon him, cheeks aflame, eyes sparkling and dry.

"Mr. Bantry," she cried, "he did a good thing! And now I want you to go
home. I want you to go home and try if you can discover anything in
yourself that is worthy of Mamie and of what she showed herself to be
this morning! If you can, you will have found something that I could
like!"

She went rapidly toward the house, and he was senseless enough to
follow, babbling: "What do you think I'm made of? You trample on
me--as he did! I can't bear everything; I tell you--"

But she lifted her hand with such imperious will that he stopped short.
Then, through the window of the sick-room came clearly the querulous
voice:

"I tell you it was; I heard him speak just now--out there in the yard,
that