joy in this struggle." And then Fitzallen
looked up into Graham's ugly face, and thought of his own appearance
in the looking-glass.

"What I want to know is this," said Felix. "If you marry Mary Snow,
what means have you of maintaining her? Would your mother receive her
into her house? I presume you are not a partner in that shop; but
would it be possible to get you in as a partner, supposing Mary were
to marry you and had a little money as her fortune?"

"Eh!" said Albert, dropping his look of pride, allowing his hand to
fall from his lips, and standing still before his companion with his
mouth wide open.

"Of course you mean honestly by dear Mary."

"Oh, sir, yes, on the honour of a gentleman. My intentions, sir,
are--. Mr. Graham, I love that young lady with a devotion of heart,
that--that--that--. Then you don't mean to marry her yourself; eh,
Mr. Graham?"

"No, Mr. Fitzallen, I do not. And now, if you will so far confide in
me, we will talk over your prospects."

"Oh, very well. I'm sure you are very kind. But Miss Snow did tell
me--"

"Yes, I know she did, and she was quite right. But as you said just
now, a woman's heart cannot be bought by friendship. I have not been
a bad friend to Mary, but I had no right to expect that I could win
her love in that way. Whether or no you may be able to succeed,
I will not say, but I have abandoned the pursuit." In all which
Graham intended to be exceedingly honest, but was, in truth, rather
hypocritical.

"Then the course is open to me," said Fitzallen.

"Yes, the course is open," answered Graham.

"But the race has still to be run. Don't you think that Miss Snow is
of her nature very--very cold?"

Felix remembered the one kiss beneath the lamp-post,--the one kiss
given, and received. He remembered also that Mary's acquaintance with
the gentleman must necessarily have been short; and he made no answer
to this question. But he made a comparison. What would Madeline have
said and done had he attempted such an iniquity? And he thought of
her flashing eyes and terrible scorn, of the utter indignation of all
the Staveley family, and of the wretched abyss into which the
offender would have fallen.

He brought back the subject at once to the young man's means, to
his mother, and to the doctor's shop; and though he learned nothing
that was very promising, neither did he learn anything that was the
reverse. Albert Fitzallen did not ride a very high horse when he
lear