avens and earth, if that girl once loved, there was a force
that no opposition could subdue! That was true. But what had he to offer
to evoke such a love?

In those days Philip saw much of Celia, who at length had given up
teaching, and had come to the city to try her experiment, into which
she was willing to embark her small income. She had taken a room in
the midst of poverty and misery on the East Side, and was studying the
situation.

"I am not certain," she said, "whether I or any one else can do
anything, or whether any organization down there can effect much. But I
will find out."

"Aren't you lonesome--and disgusted?" asked Philip.

"Disgusted? You might as well be disgusted with one thing as another. I
am generally disgusted with the way things go. But, lonely? No, there
is too much to do and to learn. And do you know, Philip, that people are
more interesting over there, more individual, have more queer sorts of
character. I begin to believe, with a lovely philanthropist I know, who
had charge of female criminals, that 'wicked women are more interesting
than good women.'"

"You have struck a rich mine of interest in New York, then."

"Don't be cynical, Phil. There are different kinds of interest. Stuff!
But I won't explain." And then, abruptly changing the subject, "Seems to
me you have something on your mind lately. Is it the novel?"

"Perhaps."

"The publishers haven't decided?"

"I am afraid they have."

"Well, Philip, do you know that I think the best thing that could happen
to you would be to have the story rejected."

"It has been rejected several times," said Philip. "That didn't seem to
do me any good."

"But finally, so that you would stop thinking about it, stop expecting
anything that way, and take up your profession in earnest."

"You are a nice comforter!" retorted Philip, with a sort of smirking
grin and a look of keen inspection, as if he saw something new in the
character of his adviser. "What has come over you? Suppose I should give
you that sort of sympathy in the projects you set your heart on?"

"It does seem hard and mean, doesn't it? I knew you wouldn't like it.
That is, not now. But it is for your lifetime. As for me, I've wanted so
many things and I've tried so many things. And do you know, Phil, that
I have about come to the conclusion that the best things for us in this
world are the things we don't get."

"You are always coming to some new conclusion."

"Yes, I kn