ther, mind. For her to become engaged to Graydon, and then, because
of his poverty, to be willing to renounce him for a more fortunate
man, would not answer at all. He must appear to the world to have
won her in fair competition with all others, and the girl had an
instinctive knowledge of this fact. The events of the previous day,
with her father's note, therefore confirmed her purpose to keep both
men in abeyance until the scale should turn.

CHAPTER XIV

MISS WILDMERE'S STRATEGY

As we have seen, Madge could not resume her old relations with Graydon
Muir. Indeed, the turning-point in her life had been the impulse and
decision to escape them by going away. She was also right in thinking
that this inability would rather help than hinder her cause. If he
had come back and realized his expectations, he would have bestowed
unstintedly the placid affection of a brother, given her his
confidence, his aid, anything she wished, except his thoughts. While
she lost much else, she retained these in a way that puzzled and even
provoked him, in view of his devotion to Miss Wildmere. The very fact
that he resented the way in which he had been treated by Madge made
him think of her, although admitting to himself that it might all turn
out for the best. He would have soon accepted changes in externals,
and her added accomplishments, but there were other and more subtle
changes which he could not grasp. It began to pique him that he had
already been forced to abandon more than one impression in regard to
her character. It was somewhat humiliating that he, who had seen the
world, especially in its social aspects, should be perplexed by a
young girl scarcely twenty, and that this girl of all others should
be little Madge. He had intimated that she had become imbued with
sentimentality and aspirations after ideals, and was hoping to meet
a male embodiment of these traits, which he regarded as prominently
lackadaisical. Her merry and half ironical laugh was not the natural
response of a woman of the intense and aesthetic type.

"I don't understand her yet," he admitted; and he again assured
himself that it was not necessary that he should. She had not merely
drifted away from him, but had deliberately chosen that others should
guide and help in the new development. The thing for him to do now was
to secure the girl of his heart, who was not shrouded in mystery. It
was evident that Mr. Arnault had been an urgent suitor, and tha