ount to very much," Henry remarked; "he has
always done business in a sort of hand-to-mouth way."

"I am surprised that Arnault permitted him to go down," Graydon said;
"it couldn't have taken very much to keep him up."

"It is said that Arnault will have nothing to do with him, and that
this fact has hastened his downfall."

"Well, so she played it too sharp on him, also. I was in hopes that
she would marry and punish him. I don't wonder at his course, though;
for if he has a spark of spirit he would not forgive her treatment
after she learned that you had not failed. Oh, how blind I was!"

"Yes, Graydon, you are very blind," said Mr. Muir, inadvertently.

"'Are?' Why do you use the present tense?"

"Did I?" replied Mr. Muir, a little confusedly. "Well, you see, Madge
and I understood Miss Wildmere from the first."

"Oh, hang Miss Wildmere! Do you think Madge--"

"Now stop right there, Graydon. I think Madge is the best and most
sensible girl I ever knew, and that's all you will ever get out of
me."

"Pardon me, Henry. I spoke from impulse, and not a worthy one, either.
I tell you point blank, however, that Madge Alden hasn't her equal in
the world. I would love her in a moment if I dared. Would to Heaven
I could have spent some time with her immediately after my return! In
that case there would have been no Wildmere folly. I declare, Henry,
when I thought she must be killed the other day I felt that the end
of my own life had come. I can't tell you what that girl is to me; but
with her knowledge of the past how can I approach her in decency?"

"Well," said Mr. Muir, shrugging his shoulders and rising to retire,
"you are out of the worst part of your scrape, and Madge is alive
and well. This is not a little to be thankful for. I shall confine my
advice to business matters. Still, were I in your shoes, I know what I
should do. 'Faint heart,' you know. Good-night."

Graydon did not move, or scarcely answer, but, with every faculty of
mind concentrated, he thought, "Henry's explanation of his use of the
present tense does not explain, and there is more meaning in what he
left unsaid in our recent interview than in what he said. Can it be
possible? Let me take this heavenly theory and, as we were taught at
college, see how much there is to support it. Was there any change in
her manner toward me before we parted years since? Why, she was taken
ill that night when she first met Miss Wildmere, and I stayed away