et on her in London, but he has only been to see her once
since. He is too poor to marry, and there is no one else--yes, by Jove,
there is!" and Neil started to his feet. "There is Grey Jerrold. He is
just the man for Bessie to fall in love with if she could see him, and
I'll bring that about."

It may seem strange that one so utterly selfish as Neil McPherson should
have devised this plan to help him in his dilemma, but this in fact was
only another phase of his selfishness. He knew it was impossible for him
to marry Bessie, and felt that it was also impossible to give her up
without other aid than his own feeble will. If she could prefer some one
else to himself, it would be a help, however much his self-love might be
wounded, and if another than himself must taste the sweetness he so
coveted he would far rather that other should be Grey Jerrold, an
American, even though he bore the rose away to foreign soil, than to
have one of his own countrymen flaunting his happiness in his face,
Bessie and Grey were suited to each other, he thought, and he would
bring them together; so, when he heard from Grey of his intended trip to
Carnarvon, he suggested that he defer it until the holidays and spend a
day or two at Stoneleigh. Then he wrote to Bessie that he was as good as
engaged to Blanche, and that she would probably fall in love with Grey,
who was sure to do so with her. This done, he began to anticipate the
visit, which he said to himself was to be his last, and from which he
meant to get all the happiness possible, he would kiss Bessie as often
as he liked; he would hold her hands in his, the dear little hands which
had worked so hard, but, which nevertheless, were so soft and pretty; he
would look into the innocent blue eyes and see them kindle and droop
beneath his gaze, and then there should be one long, never to be
forgotten walk by themselves across the suspension bridge, through the
straggling old town, and along the road by the river toward Beaumaris,
and he would tell her everything, all his love for her and its utter
hopelessness because they were both so poor, and he would say good-by
forever, and bid her marry Grey Jerrold, and so remove temptation from
him and make it easier for him to be true to Blanche.

It was much easier for Neil to form this plan than to be satisfied with
it, and during the few days which elapsed before he started for
Stoneleigh he was cross and irritable and even rude at times both to h