ephen or herself to be heroic in appropriate circumstances; the
difficulty began when one was compelled to sustain the heroic role long
after the appropriate circumstances had passed away. Yet, in spite of
the cynical lucidity of her judgment, the romantic in her heart longed
to have Stephen, by one generous act of devotion, prove her theory
fallacious. Her strongest impulse, the impulse to create happiness, to
repair, as her father had once described it, crippled destinies; this
impulse urged her now to help Patty's pathetic romance in every way in
her power. It would be very fine if Stephen cared enough to forget what
he was losing. It would be magnificent, she felt, but it would not be
masculine. For she had had great experience; and though men might vary
in a multitude of particulars, she had found that the solidarity of sex
was preserved in some general code of emotional expediency.

"Do you think," Vetch was making another attempt to explain his meaning,
"that he is seriously interested?"

"I am perfectly sure," she replied, "that he is more than half in love
with her."

"Is he the kind, then, to let himself go the rest of the way?"

She shook her head. "That I cannot answer. From my knowledge of the
restraining force of the Culpeper fibre, I should say that he is not."

"You mean he wouldn't think it a suitable marriage?"

She blushed for his crudeness. "I mean his mother wouldn't think it a
suitable marriage. Patty is very attractive, but they know nothing about
her except that. You see they have had the disadvantage of knowing
everything about every one who has married, or who has even wished to
marry, into the family for the last two hundred years. It is a
disadvantage, as I've said, for the strain is so highly bred that each
generation becomes mentally more and more like the fish in caves that
have lost their eyes because they stopped trying to see. Stephen is
different in a way--and yet not different enough. It would be his
salvation if he could care enough for Patty to take a risk for her sake;
but his mother, of course, would fight against it with every particle
of her influence, and her influence is enormous." Then she met his eyes
boldly: "Wouldn't you fight against it in her place?" she asked.

"I? Oh, I shouldn't care a hang what anybody thought if I liked the
girl," he retorted. His smile shone out warmly. "Would you?" he demanded
in his turn.

For an instant his blunt question disconcerted he