d on both sides. Do you think
that any of us have acted wisely or rightly throughout this business?"

"I don't think I have. I think Elizabeth has."

"Oh, Elizabeth. Well, she's a woman. Women have a strange sort of
pleasure in acting properly. But I don't think that even your Elizabeth
was quite perfect. Now, don't knock me down; she's my cousin, and I knew
her years before you did. She's your cousin, too, by the way; but that
does not signify. What I wanted to say was this:--We have all been more
or less idiotic. I made a confounded fool of myself once or twice, and,
begging your pardon, Brian, I think you did, too."

"I think I did," said Brian, reflectively.

"Elizabeth will take care of you now, and see that you have your due
complement of commonsense," said Percival. "Well, look here. I've been
wrong and I've been right at times; so have you. I have something to
thank you for, and perhaps you feel the same sort of thing towards me. I
think it is a pity to make a sort of profit and loss calculation as to
which of the two has been the more wronged, or has the more need to be
grateful. Let bygones be bygones. I want you and Elizabeth to promise me
not to speak or think of those old days again. We can't be friends if
you do. I was very hard on you both sometimes: and--well, you know the
rest. If you forgive, you must also forget."

Brian looked at him for a moment. "Upon my word, Percival," he said,
warmly, "I can't imagine why she did not prefer you to me. You're quite
the most large-hearted man I ever knew."

"Oh, come, that's too strong," said Heron, carelessly. "You're a cut
above me, you know, in every way. You will suit her admirably. As for
me, I'm a rough, coarse sort of a fellow--a newspaper correspondent, a
useful literary hack--that's all. I never quite understood until--until
lately--what my position was in the eyes of the world."

"Why, I thought you considered your profession a very high one," said
Brian.

"So I do. Only I'm at the bottom of the tree, and I want to be at the
top."

There was a pause. A little doubt was visible upon Brian's face:
Percival saw it and understood.

"There's one thing you needn't do," he said, with a sort of haughty
abruptness. "Don't offer me help of any kind. I won't stand it. I don't
want charity. If I could be glad that I was not going to marry
Elizabeth, it would be because she is a rich woman. I wonder,
by-the-bye, what Dino Vasari is going to do."

They h