the nature of things this could not but happen; and
about the time when Alfred Yule became totally blind the girls ceased to
hear anything of each other. An event which came to pass in the spring
sorely tempted Dora to write, but out of good feeling she refrained.

For it was then that she at length decided to change her name for
that of Whelpdale. Jasper could not quite reconcile himself to this
condescension; in various discourses he pointed out to his sister how
much higher she might look if she would only have a little patience.

'Whelpdale will never be a man of any note. A good fellow, I admit, but
borne in all senses. Let me impress upon you, my dear girl, that I have
a future before me, and that there is no reason--with your charm of
person and mind--why you should not marry brilliantly. Whelpdale can
give you a decent home, I admit, but as regards society he will be a
drag upon you.'

'It happens, Jasper, that I have promised to marry him,' replied Dora,
in a significant tone.

'Well, I regret it, but--you are of course your own mistress. I shall
make no unpleasantness. I don't dislike Whelpdale, and I shall remain on
friendly terms with him.'

'That is very kind of you,' said his sister suavely.

Whelpdale was frantic with exultation. When the day of the wedding had
been settled, he rushed into Jasper's study and fairly shed tears before
he could command his voice.

'There is no mortal on the surface of the globe one-tenth so happy as
I am!' he gasped. 'I can't believe it! Why in the name of sense and
justice have I been suffered to attain this blessedness? Think of the
days when I all but starved in my Albany Street garret, scarcely better
off than poor, dear old Biffen! Why should I have come to this, and
Biffen have poisoned himself in despair? He was a thousand times a
better and cleverer fellow than I. And poor old Reardon, dead in misery!
Could I for a moment compare with him?'

'My dear fellow,' said Jasper, calmly, 'compose yourself and be logical.
In the first place, success has nothing whatever to do with moral
deserts; and then, both Reardon and Biffen were hopelessly unpractical.
In such an admirable social order as ours, they were bound to go to the
dogs. Let us be sorry for them, but let us recognise causas rerum, as
Biffen would have said. You have exercised ingenuity and perseverance;
you have your reward.'

'And when I think that I might have married fatally on thirteen or
fourteen