then, that I am not beyond reclamation--that I might be
saved--pulled out of the mire?"

"No man is beyond reclamation, is he? I think not; I believe not."

The music ceased; the dancers were demanding a repetition of the number.
Bassett stood his ground stubbornly.

"Well, I've asked him to do something for me--the only thing I have ever
asked him to do that wasn't straight."

There was no evading this; she wondered whether he had deliberately
planned this talk, and what it was leading to. In any view it was
inexplicable. His brow knit and there was a curious gravity in his eyes
as they sought hers searchingly.

"That's his affair entirely, Mr. Bassett," she replied coldly. "He and I
are good friends, and of course I should hate to see him make a
mistake."

"But the mistake may be mine; let us say that it is mine."

"I had an idea that you didn't make mistakes. Why should you make the
serious mistake of asking a good man to do a bad thing?"

"The natural inference would be that I'm a bad man, wouldn't it?"

"It wouldn't be my way of looking at it. All you need is courage to be a
great man--you can go far!"

He smiled grimly.

"I need only one thing, you say;--but what if it's the thing I haven't
got?"

"Get it!" she replied lightly. "But your defiance in the convention
wasn't worthy of you; it was only a piece of bravado. You don't deserve
to be abused for that,--just scolded a little. That's why I laughed at
you that afternoon; I'm going to laugh at you now!"

The music had ceased again and Allen and Marian flashed out upon them in
the highest spirits.

"Well, I like this!" cried Marian. "What are you two talking so long
about? Oh, I saw you through three dances at least!"

"Miss Garrison has been laughing at me," said Bassett, smiling at his
daughter. "She doesn't take me at all seriously--or too seriously: I
don't know which!"

"How could she take you seriously!" demanded Marian. "I never do!
Sylvia, where on earth is our little Daniel? It's nearly time for the
cotillion. And if Dan Harwood doesn't show up for that I'll never
forgive him in this world."

"The cotillion?" repeated Bassett, glancing at his watch. "Hasn't Dan
got here yet? He had a committee meeting to-night, but it ought to have
been over before now."

Sylvia noted that the serious look came into his eyes again for an
instant.

"He oughtn't to have had a committe meeting on the night of my party.
And it's a holiday too."

"