hat we should have no humbug
about it. If you, on the contrary, thought there was something to be
gained by having a little humbug, I was willing to try it! I don't see
that the situation is really changed. Mary Garland is all that she ever
was--more than all. But I don't care for her! I don't care for anything,
and I don't find myself inspired to make an exception in her favor. The
only difference is that I don't care now, whether I care for her or not.
Of course, marrying such a useless lout as I am is out of the question
for any woman, and I should pay Miss Garland a poor compliment to assume
that she is in a hurry to celebrate our nuptials."

"Oh, you 're in love!" said Rowland, not very logically. It must be
confessed, at any cost, that this assertion was made for the sole
purpose of hearing Roderick deny it.

But it quite failed of its aim. Roderick gave a liberal shrug of his
shoulders and an irresponsible toss of his head. "Call it what you
please! I am past caring for names."

Rowland had not only been illogical, he had also been slightly
disingenuous. He did not believe that his companion was in love; he
had argued the false to learn the true. The true was that Roderick was
again, in some degree, under a charm, and that he found a healing virtue
in Mary's presence, indisposed though he was to admit it. He had said,
shortly before, that her voice was sweet to his ear; and this was a
promising beginning. If her voice was sweet it was probable that her
glance was not amiss, that her touch had a quiet magic, and that her
whole personal presence had learned the art of not being irritating.
So Rowland reasoned, and invested Mary Garland with a still finer
loveliness.

It was true that she herself helped him little to definite conclusions,
and that he remained in puzzled doubt as to whether these happy touches
were still a matter of the heart, or had become simply a matter of the
conscience. He watched for signs that she rejoiced in Roderick's renewed
acceptance of her society; but it seemed to him that she was on her
guard against interpreting it too largely. It was now her turn--he
fancied that he sometimes gathered from certain nameless indications of
glance and tone and gesture--it was now her turn to be indifferent, to
care for other things. Again and again Rowland asked himself what these
things were that Miss Garland might be supposed to care for, to the
injury of ideal constancy; and again, having designa