shape of--your brother."

"Of--Arthur?" she exclaimed, while Spike's rigid attitude relaxed, and
he drew a sudden, deep breath.

"Of Arthur!" nodded Ravenslee. "And Arthur lifted him out of the Slough
of Despond and taught him that life might be a useful thing after all,
if he could but find some object to help him--one who might inspire him
to nobler things. And so he came here, hoping to find this object."

"An object?" she enquired softly.

"The Definite Object!" he answered, "with capital letters. One who might
make life truly worth while. One who, teaching him to forget himself,
should lift him to better things. An object to live for, work for, and
if necessary to--die for!"

Here Spike, finding himself utterly forgotten again, sighed in deep and
audible relief, and taking up knife and fork, fell to with renewed
appetite, while Hermione, chin rested on folded hands, gazed into
Ravenslee's grave face.

"Do you think he will ever--find his Object?"

"Oh, yes!"

"You seem very--confident."

"I am! You see, she's found."

"She?" exclaimed Hermione, her eyes beginning to waver.

"With a capital S," said he, leaning nearer. "The Woman! And it's right
here that his difficulties begin, because in the first place he is so
humble and she is so proud and--"

"Proud?" said she, glancing up swiftly.

"And so very beautiful!" he continued.

"Oh!" said she, and this time she did not look at him.

"Say," quoth Spike, "I think I could go another drumstick, Geoff."

"And in the second place, he is so unworthy and she so--"

"An' a bit more stuflin', Geoff," sighed Spike.

"Can she--help him?" enquired Hermione, stirring her tea absently.

"She is the only one who can--help me."

"Oh!" said Hermione again, very softly this time, stirring a little
faster; and, conscious of his glance, flushed deliciously and was silent
awhile. As for Spike, he glanced from one rapt face to the other
and--unostentatiously helped himself to more turkey.

"But," said Hermione at last, "how can--she help?"

"By constant association," answered Ravenslee, "by affording me the
daily example of her sweet self-forgetfulness and blameless life."

"Are you sure she is so--very good?"

"I am sure she is braver and nobler than any woman I have ever known!"

Once more Spike glanced from the flushed beauty of his sister's
half-averted face to Ravenslee's shining eyes, and boldly helped himself
to more seasoning.

"Have you known he