yer, I have never felt it my business
to inquire. I believe--from hearsay--that he is much changed. And I
feel convinced his PRUFUNG will be poor. Indeed, I'm not sure that he
should not be warned off it altogether."

"Could that not be laid before him?"

"I should not care to undertake it."

There was nothing to be done with Dove; Madeleine felt that she was
wasting her breath; and they walked across the broad centre of the
ROSSPLATZ in silence.

"Do you never think," she said, after a time, "how it would simplify
life, if we were able to get above it for a bit, and see things without
prejudice?--Here's a case now, where a little real fellowship and
sympathy might work wonders. But no!--no interference!--that's the
chief and only consideration!"

It had stopped raining. Dove let down his umbrella, and carried it
stiffly, at some distance from him, by reason of its dampness. "Believe
me, Miss Madeleine," he said, as he emerged from beneath it. "Believe
me, I make all allowance for your feelings, which do you credit. A
woman's way of looking at these things is, thank God, humaner than
ours. But it's a man's duty not to let his feelings run away with him.
I agree with you, that it's a shocking affair. But Guest went into it
with his eyes open. And that he could do so--but there was always
something a little ... a little peculiar about Guest."

"I suppose there was. One can only be thankful, I suppose, that he's
more or less of an exception--among his own countrymen, I mean, of
course. Englishmen are not, as a rule, given to that kind of thing."

"Thank God they're not!" said Dove with emotion.

"We'll, our ways part here," said Madeleine, and halted. As she took
her music from him, she asked: "By the way, when shall we be at liberty
to congratulate you?"

It was not at all "by the way" to Dove. However, he only smiled; for he
had grown wiser, and no longer wore his heart on his coat-sleeve. "You
shall be one of the first to hear, Miss Madeleine, when the news is
made public."

"Thanks greatly. Good-bye.--Oh, no, stop a moment!" cried Madeleine. It
was more than she could bear to see him turn away thus, beaming with
self-content. "Stop a moment. You won't mind my telling you, I'm sure,
that I've been disappointed with you this afternoon. For I've always
thought of you as a saviour in the hour of need, don't you know? One
does indulge in these fancy pictures of one's friends--a strong man,
helping with tact and