thing to her, of course. But she
told me you were starting to-morrow for Egypt, so I shall have no other
chance."

"I am sorry you have come. It is not for me to judge, but I don't think
you will make Noel happy."

"May I ask you why, sir?"

"Captain Fort, the world's judgment of these things is not mine; but
since you ask me. I will tell you frankly. My cousin Leila has a claim
on you. It is her you should ask to marry you."

"I did ask her; she refused."

"I know. She would not refuse you again if you went out to her."

"I am not free to go out to her; besides, she would refuse. She knows I
don't love her, and never have."

"Never have?"

"No."

"Then why--"

"Because I'm a man, I suppose, and a fool"

"If it was simply, 'because you are a man' as you call it, it is clear
that no principle or faith governs you. And yet you ask me to give you
Noel; my poor Noel, who wants the love and protection not of a 'man' but
of a good man. No, Captain Fort, no!"

Fort bit his lips. "I'm clearly not a good man in your sense of the
word; but I love her terribly, and I would protect her. I don't in the
least know whether she'll have me. I don't expect her to, naturally.
But I warn you that I mean to ask her, and to wait for her. I'm so much
in love that I can do nothing else."

"The man who is truly in love does what is best for the one he loves."
Fort bent his head; he felt as if he were at school again, confronting
his head-master. "That's true," he said. "And I shall never trade on
her position. If she can't feel anything for me now or in the future, I
shan't trouble her, you may be sure of that. But if by some wonderful
chance she should, I know I can make her happy, sir."

"She is a child."

"No, she's not a child," said Fort stubbornly.

Pierson touched the lapel of his new tunic. "Captain Fort, I am going
far away from her, and leaving her without protection. I trust to your
chivalry not to ask her, till I come back."

Fort threw back his head. "No, no, I won't accept that position. With or
without your presence the facts will be the same. Either she can love
me, or she can't. If she can, she'll be happier with me. If she can't,
there's an end of it."

Pierson came slowly up to him. "In my view," he said, "you are as bound
to Leila as if you were married to her."

"You can't, expect me to take the priest's view, sir."

Pierson's lips trembled.

"You call it a priest's view;