ould care
for him. He did not expect her to care, but--and here he drifted
across the desert of plain possibilities into the merciful mirage of
things hoped for--if she would condescend to let him serve her, he
might take heart of grace.

He watched her carefully.

It did not seem to him that there was anybody else. There were crowds:
crowds of dreadful, well-dressed, good-looking, cheerful men, who
chaffed and laughed and quaffed any drinks that happened to be going;
but he did not fear the enemy in battalions, and so far it appeared
that her besiegers always attacked in companies.

Sometimes he was sure that she knew how he felt, and was trying in
gentle, delicately pitiful ways to show him that it was of no use.
Then again he would dismiss this thought as absurd and conceited. How
should Mary know? How could she try to show him she didn't care when
he had never shown her that he did? How could he show her?

It was this desire to show her, this hope of familiarising her with the
idea that caused Eloquent to resort to every possible place where he
might see her. He went down to Woolwich as often as decency would
permit, which wasn't often. He inundated Mrs Grantly with invitations
to the House, and he haunted the theatres, generally in vain, in the
hope of seeing her at the play. He would often reflect bitterly how
easy things were for the young shopman in these matters. He met his
girl and took her for a walk, and no one thought any the worse of
either of them. There was none of this nerve-racking, heartrending
uncertainty, this difficulty of access, this sense of futility, in
their relations.

Of the many mysterious attributes of the "classes," there was none to
be so heartily deplored as their entire success in secluding their
young women, while apparently they gave them every possible opportunity
for amusement of all kinds.

* * * * * *

Reggie went down to Woolwich once while Mary was with her grandparents,
but it was not, from her point of view, a very satisfactory visit.
Reggie was grumpy, and looked very tired and overworked. Moreover,
Mary, though she could not have confessed it for the world, was just a
trifle hurt that he never reminded her of that last ride together.

Just as he was leaving on the Sunday night, and they were all in the
garden, he walked with her a little way down a winding path that hid
them from the others, saying abruptly--

"Shall I l