ot believed that, if I had not been too
honorable to seek to play a friend a scurvy trick, it would have gone
hard with me if I had not won her for myself."

"Honestly, you would not have succeeded, Maverick. Neither would she
have married me. I think she belonged to Fred from the beginning. He
used to hate girls, judging from his sisters, no doubt, but he always
liked Sylvie. I was afraid of girls,--their sharp eyes and sharper
tongues,--but I liked her too; yet in my own mind he always had the
first claim. And they will be suited in the farthest fibre of each
soul."

"He is not half worthy of her!" growled Maverick.

"Who is?" There was a peculiar tender intonation in the voice. "Sylvie
Barry's womanhood is unique, like some rare gem. She has the sparkle but
not the hardness of a diamond; the warmth and vividness of the ruby, but
not its heats; the serenity of the sapphire, and yet to me that is
always cold. Rather I think she is a changeful opal with all hues and
tints and surprises."

"And yet you have never loved her!" in intense surprise.

"I worship her," said Jack reverentially. "I should as soon think of
wooing an angel."

"And yet this man, who is not as strong, or noble, or high in purpose,
takes her with your consent. You can see her sit down at his feet, wind
her own rich, pure, sustaining life-melody about him, to make his path
seem like going through an enchanted land. She has genius, but it will
ever linger in the shadow of his; it will help, and purify, and shape
his; she will give her whole soul to the work. Is he worth the best
there is in such a woman as Sylvie Barry?"

"No; and we never go by our deserts when a woman loves us," said Jack,
with frank honesty.

"I am quite sure you will marry a woman I shall hate," returned Maverick
testily.

Jack laughed. "Marrying has not been much in my thoughts;" and yet his
fair face flushed. "I have to fight Hope Mills out to the end first."

But just now there did not seem much of a prospect for fighting, though
he firmly believed he should always be on guard after this.

There was one other person in this little circle, who was of much
interest to the others, even if it was for the most part unspoken.
Maverick had tried to rouse Irene Lawrence from her lethargy by appeals
of different kinds. She certainly was not an intellectual woman, though
she had a strong and well-cultivated mind, and was accomplished in many
ways,--society accomplishments, w