l
her accepted theories about the ingrained selfishness of man. But by
watching and studying his ways, which she did with some interest, she
found that he really had that unusual weakness; and she was partly
amused and partly annoyed by it. She felt angry with him now and then
for neglecting his own task, like another Hylas, to pick up every little
blossom of alien grievance flung in his way. She pressed on him with an
earnestness which their growing friendship seemed to warrant the
necessity of his doing something to set his cause right, or ceasing to
tell himself that he had a cause which called for justice.

It would not be easy to find a more singular friendship than that which
was growing up between Miss Grey and Victor. She received him whenever
he chose to come and see her. Many a night, when Mary Blanchet and she
sat together, he would look in upon them as he went to some
dinner-party, or even as he came home from one, if he had got away
early, and have a few minutes' talk with them. He came often in the
afternoon, and if Minola did not happen to be at home, he would
nevertheless remain and have a long chat with Mary Blanchet. He seemed
always in good humor with himself and everybody else, except in so far
as his grievance was concerned, and always perfectly happy. It has been
already shown that although quite a young man, he considered himself, by
virtue of his experience and his public career, ever so much older than
Minola. Once or twice he sent a throb of keen delight through Mary
Blanchet's heart by speaking of something that "I can remember, Miss
Blanchet, and perhaps you may remember it--but Miss Grey couldn't of
course." To be put on anything like equal ground with him as to years
was a delightful experience to the poetess. It was all the more
delicious because there was such an evident genuineness in his
suggestion. Of course, if he had meant to pay her a compliment--such as
a foolish person might be pleased with, but not she, thank goodness--he
would have pretended to think her as young as Minola. But he had done
nothing of the kind; and he evidently thought that she was about the
same age as himself.

At all events, and it was more to the purpose, he set down Miss Grey as
belonging to quite a different stage of growth from that to which he had
attained. He thought her a handsome and very clever girl, who had the
additional advantage over most other girls that she was rather tall, and
that he therefo