lous of these extraneous influences. She
unconsciously exerted herself to make his visits at the beach more
interesting. They drove together in her pony-carriage; they studied
glowing summer sunsets, where fantastic clouds piled up wealth of gold
and amber and purple and opaline splendors, and shot out arrowy,
dazzling rays; they paced the sands after it had all faded into tintless
space, and delicate vapors of grayish green and vague violet rose from
the crested waves that broke far out at sea, and trooped across like
airy spirits; they listened to the slow, regular rhythm that came
marching from some weird country, with a grand crash at last, a sobbing
crescendo, and an interval of silence that still pulsated on the dusky,
odorous air, when the moaning billow was dead.

They came so near to Nature, there were moments when they seemed
empowered to wrest the shadowy secrets out of her bosom; and yet they
did not come near to each other. Ever this distance between,--a man's
honor, and faith to his friend, Fred Lawrence thought, never allowing
his secret soul to swerve. There were midnights when he softly paced the
floor, his lips compressed, his brow ghostly white, and his hands
clinched in the throe of a man's deathless love. Then he thought he
could not endure it, that he must stay away. But circumstances were
stronger than will. Did God mean that this anguish should redeem that
other old treachery, that his soul should be purified by its baptism of
fire, a more worthy offering for his friend? If so, then he must not
abate one jot or one pang.

There were within Sylvie Barry's soul certain coquettish instincts. She
was fond of admiration for herself: a purely intellectual regard, with
the passion-dream flown, would soon have wearied her. A warm, bright
nature, loving to please others, but to be pleased in return, cruelly
hurt by surging against this rock-bound coast, piqued and almost
angered, sent into moods of daring, seductive warmth and gayety, quite
capable of making a foil of Dr. Maverick, who was strangely puzzled by
her contradictory moods. But for one thing, he must have tried to cage
the dazzling, elusive spirit: he, too, had a strong sense of honor
toward his friend; and he could only imagine her playing sportively with
the few who came within her radius, not setting herself to win any
forbidden regard. What might have made some women sad and silent--the
consciousness that an old lover had over-lived his pa