nd positive nature, she had missed. It was as
if the night, with its stars and flowers, were striving to invest her
with that subtler allurement which, in Sheila, was so poignant and
enchanting to Peter. And instinctively Charlotte took up the night's
cue; sat a little in shadow; spoke with unusual softness.

"What have you been thinking of so seriously all evening?" she asked.

"I've been wondering," said Peter, "whether a man whose heart is
committed, in spite of himself, to a hopeless love, has any right to
marry."

Charlotte did not answer at once; she stirred, moved deeper into
protecting shadow. "That depends, I believe, on whether he's sure that
the love his heart is committed to is really hopeless--will be hopeless
always," she replied finally.

"In the case I was considering--the man is sure of that."

"Then he would get over his unfortunate love in time--wouldn't he?
Ill-fated love does not often last forever. Life--life is more
merciful than that, isn't it?"

It was his chance with her; he realized that she was giving it to
him--giving it to him understandingly and deliberately. He had only to
agree that an "ill-fated" love--that his ill-fated love--would die at
last. But he could not take his chance like that. He could not be
less than honest with her.

"He would never get over it altogether," he said. "The woman he could
not marry would always be--dearest to him. And, granting that, would
it be fair for him to ask another woman to take what was left of--of
his affection? Would it be fair to ask her to take--a spoiled life?"

"She might feel that what was left of his life was well worth
having--the woman he _could_ marry. She might feel that--even if he
had suffered much, missed what he supremely wanted--his life need not
be spoiled after all. She might feel that she could prevent its being
spoiled. If he were frank with her, and she felt like that about it, I
think it would be fair for him to marry her--perfectly honorable and
fair."

"It could not be happiness for her," argued Peter.

"Perhaps not. Perhaps she could do without happiness."

"That would require a great love of her," said Peter gravely, "a great
love for a man who could not give a great love in return."

"Yes," she agreed, her voice very low now, but as clear and steady as
ever, "yes, it would require a great love from her. But it is not
impossible to find a woman who can feel a great love without hope of a
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