well of Ferdy Wickersham, but I don't believe a word against her.
She may be silly; but she is a hundred times better than some who
calumniate her."

"Oh, you dear boy! You were always so amiable. It's a pity the world is
not like you; but it is not."

"It is a pity people do not let others alone and attend to their own
affairs," remarked Keith, grimly. "I believe more than half the trouble
is made by the meddlers who go around gossiping."

"Don't they! Why, every one is talking about it. I have not been in a
drawing-room where it is not being discussed."

"I suppose not," said Mr. Keith.

"And, you know, they say Norman Wentworth has lost a lot of money, too.
But, then, he has a large account to fall back on. Alice Lancaster has
a plenty."

"What's that?" Keith's voice had an unpleasant sharpness in it.

"Oh, you know, he is her trustee, and they are great friends. Good-by.
You must come and dine with us sometime--sometime soon, too."

And Mrs. Nailor floated away, and in the first drawing-room she visited
told of Keith's return and of his taking the story of Louise Wentworth
and Ferdy Wickersham very seriously; adding, "And you know, I think he
is a great admirer of Louise himself--a very great admirer. Of course,
he would like to marry Alice Lancaster, just as Ferdy would. They all
want to marry her; but Louise Wentworth is the one that has their
hearts. She knows how to capture them. You keep your eyes open. You
ought to have seen the way he looked when I mentioned Ferdy Wickersham
and her. My dear, a man doesn't look that way unless he feels something
here." She tapped solemnly the spot where she imagined her heart to be,
that dry and desiccated organ that had long ceased to know any
real warmth.

A little time afterwards, Keith, to his great surprise, received an
invitation to dine at Mrs. Wickersham's. He had never before received an
invitation to her house, and when he had met her, she had always been
stiff and repellent toward him. This he had regarded as perfectly
natural; for he and Ferdy had never been friendly, and of late had not
even kept up appearances.

He wondered why he should be invited now. Could it be true, as Stirling
had said, laughing, that now he had the key and would find all doors
open to him?

Keith had not yet written his reply when he called that evening at Mrs.
Lancaster's. She asked him if he had received such an invitation. Keith
said yes, but he did not intend to go. He