ce couldn't you pick the right girl?"

"Fact is, I don't show up over well."

"You don't; that is a fact."

"Ayre, I think I ought to let him have his shot first."

"Bosh! why, as like as not she'd take him! If it struck her that he was
chucking away his immortal soul and all that for her sake, as like as
not she'd take him. Depend upon it, Eugene, once she caught the idea of
romantic sin, she'd be gone--no girl could stand up against it."

"It is rather the sort of thing to catch Claudia's fancy."

"You cut in, my boy," continued Ayre, "Frendship's all very well--"

"Yes, 'save in the office and affairs of love!'" quoted Eugene, with a
smile of scorn at himself.

"Well, you'd better make up your mind, and don't mount stilts."

"I'll go down and look round. But I can't ask her without telling her or
letting him tell her."

"Pooh! she knows."

"She doesn't, I tell you."

"Then she ought to. You're a nice fellow! I slave and eavesdrop for you,
and now you won't do the rest yourself. What the deuce do you all see in
that parson? If I were your age, and thought Claudia Territon would have
me, it would take a lot of parsons to put me on one side."

"Poor old Charley!" said Eugene again. "Ayre, he shall have his shot."

"Meanwhile, the girl's wondering if you mean to throw her over. She's
expected to hear from you this last month. I tell you what: I expect
Rick'll kick you when you do turn up."

"Well, I shall go down and try to see her: when I get there I must be
guided by circumstances."

"Very good. I expect the circumstances will turn out to be such that
you'll make love to Claudia and forget all about Stafford. If you
don't----"

"What?"

"You're an infernally cold-blooded conscientious young ruffian, and I
never took you for that before!"

And Ayre, more perturbed about other people's affairs than a man of his
creed had any business to be, returned to the _Times_ as Eugene went to
pursue his errand.

CHAPTER XI.

Waiting Lady Claudia's Pleasure

Stafford had probably painted his state of mind in colors somewhat more
startling than the reality warranted. When a man is going to act against
his conscience, there is a sort of comfort in making out that the crime
has features of more striking depravity than an unbiased observer would
detect; the inclination in this direction is increased when it is a
question of impressing others. Sin seems commonplace if we give it no
pomp and circumstan