. Just a liking. He's just a friend."

"Exactly. Or in marrying the other, whom she loves ex----"

"That's not it. How can she marry him? He hasn't--he hasn't asked
her, you see."

"True. I forgot. Let us assume, though, for the moment, that he has
asked her. She would then have to consider which marriage would
probably be productive of the greater sum total of----"

"Oh, but you needn't consider that."

"But it seems the best logical order. We can afterward make allowance
for the element of uncertainty caused by----"

"Oh, no! I don't want it like that. I know perfectly well which she'd
do if he--the other man, you know--asked her."

"You apprehend that----"

"Never mind what I 'apprehend.' Take it just as I told you."

"Very good. A has asked her hand, B has not."

"Yes."

"May I take it that, but for the disturbing influence of B, A would be
a satisfactory--er--candidate?"

"Ye--es. I think so."

"She, therefore, enjoys a certainty of considerable happiness if she
marries A?"

"Ye--es. Not perfect, because of--B, you know."

"Quite so, quite so; but still a fair amount of happiness. Is it not
so?"

"I don't--well, perhaps."

"On the other hand, if B did ask her, we are to postulate a higher
degree of happiness for her?"

"Yes, please, Mr. Jerningham--much higher."

"For both of them?"

"For her. Never mind him."

"Very well. That again simplifies the problem. But his asking her is
a contingency only?"

"Yes, that's all."

The philosopher spread out his hands.

"My dear young lady," he said, "it becomes a question of degree. How
probable or improbable is it?"

"I don't know. Not very probable--unless--unless----"

"Well?"

"Unless he did happen to notice, you know."

"Ah, yes. We supposed that, if he thought of it, he would probably
take the desired step--at least that he might be led to do so. Could
she not--er--indicate her preference?"

"She might try--no, she couldn't do much. You see, he--he doesn't
think about such things."

"I understand precisely. And it seems to me, Miss May, that in that
very fact we find our solution."

"Do we?" she asked.

"I think so. He has evidently no natural inclination toward
her--perhaps not toward marriage at all. Any feeling aroused in him
would be necessarily shallow and in a measure artificial--and in all
likelihood purely temporary. Moreover, if she took steps to arouse his
attention, one of two things wo