"No! no! If I did not stand clear and free in my shoes do you think I'd
dare do what I'm doing? Do you suppose I'd ask a girl to face with me a
world in which I owed a penny? Do you suppose I'm afraid of that
world?--or of a soul in it? Do you suppose I can't take a living out of
it?"

Suddenly Selwyn crushed the boy's hand.

"Then take it!--and her, too!" he said between his teeth; and turned on
his heel, resting his arms on the mantel and his head face downward
between them.

So Gerald went away in the pride and excitement of buoyant youth to take
love as he found it and where he found it--though he had found it only
as the green bud of promise which unfolds, not to the lover, but to
love. And the boy was only one of many on whom the victory might have
fallen; but such a man becomes the only man when he takes what he finds
for himself--green bud, half blown, or open to its own deep fragrant
heart. To him that hath shall be given, and much forgiven. For it is the
law of the strong and the prophets: and a little should be left to that
Destiny which the devout revere under a gentler name.

* * * * *

The affair made a splash in the social puddle, and the commotion spread
outside of it. Inside the nine-and-seventy cackled; outside similar
gallinaceous sounds. Neergard pored all day over the blue-pencilled
column, and went home, stunned; the social sheet which is taken below
stairs and read above was full of it, as was the daily press and the
mouths of people interested, uninterested, and disinterested,
legitimately or otherwise, until people began to tire of telling each
other exactly how it happened that Gerald Erroll ran away with Gladys
Orchil.

Sanxon Orchil was widely quoted as suavely and urbanely deploring the
premature consummation of an alliance long since decided upon by both
families involved; Mrs. Orchil snapped her electric-blue eyes and held
her peace--between her very white teeth; Austin Gerard, secretly
astounded with admiration for Gerald, received the reporters with a
countenance expressive of patient pain, but downtown he made public
pretence of busy indifference, as though not fully alive to the material
benefit connected with the unexpected alliance. Nina wept--happily at
moments--at moments she laughed--because she had heard all about the
famous British invasion planned by the Orchils and abetted by
Anglo-American aristocracy. She did not laugh too maliciously;