people I
have ever met are these moral reformers."

"Then what would you suggest?"

"A good healthy paganism. I know this is an awful heresy, but can any
reasonable man say that the English, with all their religious
institutions, are as happy as the old Greeks were?"

"We can't accuse Leicester of hiding his light under a bushel," said
Sprague to Purvis, after dinner, during which Leicester continued to
talk in the same strain.

"No, but I have yet to see that Miss Castlemaine is repelled by him."

"That's because she believes he is playing a part."

"You believe that she thinks he's been joking?"

"Exactly."

But they were wrong. Olive Castlemaine believed that there was an
undertone of sincerity in all Leicester said, and she was sorry for him.
During the evening she saw a great deal of him, and although she did not
feel quite comfortable in his presence, his personality fascinated her.
Indeed, he became quite an enigma to her. Sometimes, when the cynical
side of his nature was uppermost, she felt almost sorry that he had been
invited to the house, but when he changed and spoke earnestly on matters
which interested her, she forgot her feelings of aversion.

Indeed, when all the guests had left the house that night, Olive
Castlemaine reflected what a fine man Radford Leicester would be if the
sad, hopeless spirit were cast out of him, and he could be inspired by
high and noble motives.

"I wonder what would do it?" she asked herself again and again.

CHAPTER VI

LEICESTER'S WOOING

During the next few weeks Radford Leicester and Olive Castlemaine met
more than once. By what seemed a strange coincidence Leicester received
invitations to houses where Olive Castlemaine had promised to go. They
spoke but little on these occasions, nevertheless it was evident that
each found the other very interesting. It was noticed, moreover, that
Leicester was less cynical and hopeless when in her presence. His eyes
shone with a new light, and his voice was resonant with eagerness. She
seemed to act upon him as a kind of mental and spiritual tonic. The old
bored air passed away when she appeared, and while he seemed to be
little interested in the society of others, there could be no doubt that
Olive Castlemaine aroused him to earnestness.

When he was with men, he was cold and cynical as ever, neither did he
seem to be fighting the habit which had gained such mastery over him.
Sprague and Purvis often talked ab