."

"Her only friend too. Her brother has not done much for her. To tell
you the truth, Miss Grey, it isn't in his power now. You don't know the
struggles of us, the unsuccessful men in literature, who yet have faith
in ourselves. I am very poor. My utmost effort goes in keeping a decent
dress-coat and buying a pair of gloves; I don't complain--I am not one
bit deterred, and I only trouble you with this confession, because
whatever I may have been in the past I had rather you knew me to be
what I am--a wretched, penniless struggler--than believe that I left my
sister to be a burden on your friendship."

"Mary is the only friend I have," said Minola. "It is not wonderful if
I wish to keep her with me. And you will make a great success some
time."

He shook his head.

"If one hadn't to grind at things for bare living, one might do
something. I am not bad enough, or good enough; and that's the truth of
it. I dare say if I were mean enough to hunt after some woman with
money, I might have succeeded as well as others--but I couldn't do
that."

"No, I am sure you could not."

"I am not mean enough for that. But I am not high-minded enough to
accept any path, and be content with it and proud of it. Now I shan't
bore you any more about myself. I wanted you to know this that you
might not think too harshly of me. I know you felt some objection to me
at first; you need not try politely to deny it."

"Oh, no; I don't want to deny it. I prefer truth to politeness, a great
deal. I did think you had neglected your sister; but really I was not
surprised. I believe other men do the same thing."

"But now you see that I have some excuse?"

"I am glad to hear it, Mr. Blanchet."

"Glad to hear that I am so wretchedly poor, Miss Grey?" he said with a
smile, and bending his eyes on her. "Glad to hear that your friend's
brother is such a failure?"

"I would rather a thousand times hear that you were poor than that you
were heartless. I don't call it a failure to be poor. I should call it
a failure to be selfish and mean."

She spoke in a low tone, but very earnestly and eagerly, and she
suddenly thought she was speaking too eagerly, and stopped.

"Well," he said, after a moment's pause, "here is the picture. We shall
get to it presently, when these people move away."

They had entered, through a curtained door, a small room which was
nearly filled with people standing before a picture, and admiringly
criticising it. Minola