ctuated by such reasoning as
this, he had endeavoured in a mild way to separate his sister from
her lover, thinking that they who were in love should be bound by the
arguments which seemed good to him who was not in love. But now he
also was in love, and the arguments as they applied to himself fell
into shreds and tatters as he sat gazing at his fire, holding the
poker in his hand.

Had there ever been anything more graceful than the mock violence
with which she had pretended to strike heartily at the coals?--had
there ever anything been more lovely than that mingled glance of
doubt, of fear, and of friendliness with which she had looked into
his face as she did it? She had quite understood his feeling when
he made his little request. There had been heart enough in her,
spirit enough, intelligence enough, to tell her at once the purport
of his demand. Or rather she had not seen it all at once, but had
only understood when her hand had gone too far to be withdrawn that
something of love as well as friendship had been intended. Before
long she should know how much of love had been intended! Whether his
purpose was or was not compatible with the wisdom of his theory as to
a gradual diminution of distances, his heart had gone too far now for
any retracting. As he sat there he at once began to teach himself
that the arguments he had used were only good in reference to
high-born females, and that they need not necessarily affect himself.
Whomever he might marry he would raise to his own rank. For his rank
he did not care a straw himself. It was of the prejudices of others
he was thinking when he assured himself that Marion would make as
good a Countess and as good a Marchioness as any lady in the land. In
regard to his sister it was otherwise. She must follow the rank of
her husband. It might be that the sores which she would cause to many
by becoming the wife of a Post Office clerk ought to be avoided. But
there need be no sores in regard to his marriage with Marion Fay.

His present reasoning was, no doubt, bad, but such as it was it was
allowed to prevail absolutely. It did not even occur to him that he
would make an attempt to enfranchise himself from Marion's charms.
Whatever might occur, whatever details there might be which would
require his attention in regard to his father or others of the
family, everything must give way to his present passion. She had
poked his fire, and she must be made to sit at his hearth for