hink were the methods of both the men who were
carrying it on.

John Derringham reddened up to his temples, where there were a few
streaks of gray in his dark hair which added to the distinction of his
finely cut, rather ascetic face. The short, well-trimmed beard was very
becoming, Halcyone thought, and gave him a look of great masculinity and
strength. His hawk's eyes were shadowed, as though he sat up very late
at night; which indeed he did. For John Derringham, at this period of
his life, burnt the candle at both ends and in the middle, too, if it
could add to the pleasure or benefit of his calculated career, mapped
out for himself by himself.

A sensation almost of wrath rose in his breast at his old master's
words. These ignorant country people, to dare to criticise his
glittering golden pheasant, whom he was very nearly making up his mind
to take for a wife! This aspect of the case, that even these unimportant
old ladies could question the position of his choice, galled him. He had
spent up to the last penny of his diminished income in his years of
man's estate, and Derringham was mortgaged to its furthest acre--and a
gentleman must live--and with his brilliant political future expanding
before him, lack of means must not be allowed to stand in his way. He
would give this woman in gratified ambition as much or more than she
would give him in wealth, so it would be an equal bargain and benefit
them both. And, above all, he was more than half in love with her, and
could get quite a large share of pleasure out of the affair as well. He
had been too busy to trouble much over women as a sex since he had left
the University--except in the way he had once described to his old
master, regarding them as flowers in a garden--mere pleasures for sight
and touch, and experiencing ephemeral passions which left no mark. But
women either feared or adored him; and this woman, the desired of a host
of his friends, had singled him out for her especial favors. It had
amused him the whole of the last season; he had defied her efforts to
chain him to her chariot wheels, and in the winter she had gone to
Egypt, and had only just returned. But the charm was growing, and he
felt he would allow himself to be caught in her net.

"Mrs. Cricklander would be very much amused could she hear this verdict
of the county," he said with a certain tone in his voice which did not
escape Halcyone. "In London we do not occupy ourselves with such
uni