ch circumstances as those?

One day he found himself talking to her about himself, and speaking
to her of his own position with more frankness than he ever used with
his own family. He had begun by reminding her of that conversation
which they had had before he went away with Mr. Monk, and by
reminding her also that she had promised to return to her old
friendly ways with him.

"Nay, Phineas; there was no promise," she said.

"And are we not to be friends?"

"I only say that I made no particular promise. Of course we are
friends. We have always been friends."

"What would you say if you heard that I had resigned my office and
given up my seat?" he asked. Of course she expressed her surprise,
almost her horror, at such an idea, and then he told her everything.
It took long in the telling, because it was necessary that he should
explain to her the working of the system which made it impossible for
him, as a member of the Government, to entertain an opinion of his
own.

"And do you mean that you would lose your salary?" she asked.

"Certainly I should."

"Would not that be very dreadful?"

He laughed as he acknowledged that it would be dreadful. "It is very
dreadful, Mary, to have nothing to eat and drink. But what is a man
to do? Would you recommend me to say that black is white?"

"I am sure you will never do that."

"You see, Mary, it is very nice to be called by a big name and to
have a salary, and it is very comfortable to be envied by one's
friends and enemies;--but there are drawbacks. There is this especial
drawback." Then he paused for a moment before he went on.

"What especial drawback, Phineas?"

"A man cannot do what he pleases with himself. How can a man marry,
so circumstanced as I am?"

She hesitated for a moment, and then she answered him,--"A man may be
very happy without marrying, I suppose."

He also paused for many moments before he spoke again, and she then
made a faint attempt to escape from him. But before she succeeded he
had asked her a question which arrested her. "I wonder whether you
would listen to me if I were to tell you a history?" Of course she
listened, and the history he told her was the tale of his love for
Violet Effingham.

"And she has money of her own?" Mary asked.

"Yes;--she is rich. She has a large fortune."

"Then, Mr. Finn, you must seek some one else who is equally blessed."

"Mary, that is untrue,--that is ill-natured. You do not mean that.
Say that