n," he said, after a minute's
silence. "For it must be as embarrassing to you as it is to me. It is
quite my own fault that I built too many hopes upon you, Lucy! I set you
up on a pedestal and you have yourself stepped down from it--I have put
you to the test, and you have failed. I daresay the failure is as much
the concern of your parents and the way in which they have brought you
up, as it is of any latent weakness in your own mind and character.
But,--if, when I suggested such an absurd and unnatural proposition as
marriage between myself arid you, you had at once, like a true woman,
gently and firmly repudiated the idea, then----"

"Then--what?" she faltered.

"Why, then I should have made you my sole heiress," he said quietly.

Her eyes opened in blank wonderment and despair. Was it possible! Had
she been so near her golden El Dorado only to see the shining shores
receding, and the glittering harbour closed! Oh, it was cruel! Horrible!
There was a convulsive catch in her throat which she managed to turn
into the laugh hysterical.

"Really!" she ejaculated, with a poor attempt at flippancy; and, in her
turn, she asked the question, "Why?"

"Because I should have known you were honest," answered Helmsley, with
emphasis. "Honest to your womanly instincts, and to the simplest and
purest part of your nature. I should have proved for myself the fact
that you refused to sell your beautiful person for gold--that you were
no slave in the world's auction-mart, but a free, proud, noble-hearted
English girl who meant to be faithful to all that was highest and best
in her soul. Ah, Lucy! You are not this little dream-girl of mine! You
are a very realistic modern woman with whom a man's 'ideal' has nothing
in common!"

She was silent, half-stifled with rage. He stepped up to her and took
her hand.

"Good-night, Lucy! Good-bye!"

She wrenched her fingers from his clasp, and a sudden, uncontrollable
fury possessed her.

"I hate you!" she said between her set teeth. "You are mean! Mean! I
hate you!"

He stood quite still, gravely irresponsive.

"You have deceived me--cheated me!" she went on, angrily and recklessly.
"You made me think you wanted to marry me."

The corners of his mouth went up under his ashen-grey moustache in a
chill smile.

"Pardon me!" he interrupted. "But did I make you think? or did you think
it of your own accord?"

She plucked at her fan nervously.

"Any girl--I don't care who she is--w