think your way, if they prefer to think their
own."

"It's merely the line of least resistance and what will pay her best. I
want you to grasp the fact that she had ceased to like me before there
was any reason why she should cease to like me. I'll swear she had. My
first thought and intention, when I heard what had happened, was to
marry her right away. And what changed my feeling about it, and showed
me devilish clear it would be a mistake, was Sabina herself. We needn't
go over that. But I'm not going to marry her now under any circumstances
whatever, while recognising very clearly my duty to her and the child.
And though you may say it's humbug, I'm thinking quite as much for her
as myself when I say this."

"I don't presume to judge. You're not a humbug--no good sportsman is in
my experience. If you do everything right for the child, I suppose the
world has no reason to criticise."

"As long as I'm right with myself, I don't care one button what the
world says, Arthur. There's nothing quicker opens your eyes, or helps
you to take larger views, than independence."

"I see that."

"All the same, it's a steadying thing if you're honest and have got
brains in your head. People thought I was a shallow, easy, good-natured
and good-for-nothing fool six months ago. Well, they thought wrong. But
don't think I'm pleased with myself, or any nonsense of that sort. Only
a fool is pleased with himself. I've wasted my life till now, because I
had no ambition. Now I'm beginning it and trying to get things into
their proper perspective. When I had no responsibilities, I was
irresponsible. Now they've come, I'm stringing myself up to meet them."

"Life's given you your chance."

"Exactly; and I hope to show I can take it. But I'm not going to start
by making an ass of myself to please a few old women."

"Where shall you live?"

"Nowhere in particular for the minute. I shall roam and see all that's
being done in my business and take John Best with me for a while. Then
it depends. Perhaps, if things go as I expect about machinery, I shall
ask you for a corner again in the autumn."

Mr. Waldron nodded; but he was not finding himself in complete agreement
with Raymond.

"Always welcome," he said.

"Perhaps you'd rather not? Well--see how things go. Estelle may bar me.
I'm at Bridport to-night and return to London to-morrow. But I shall be
back again in a week."

"Shall you play any cricket this summer?"

"I should lik