you myself, long ago. But fate has cut me out for a
bachelor." He knocked the ash from a cold pipe, filled and lighted it.
"By the way," he said, "I received a curious letter to-day." Its
production would relieve the awkwardness of the moment. "Would you
like to see it?" opening the drawer and handing the letter to her.
"It's one of the few letters of the sort I'm going to keep."

She accepted the letter, but without any spirit of interest. For a
moment a thought had all but swept her off her feet; yet she realized
instantly that this thought was futile. Warrington did not love her;
and there was nothing to do but to follow out the course she had
planned. She had come to him that night with a single purpose in mind:
to plumb the very heart of this man who was an enigma to every woman
he met. She had plumbed it. Warrington loved nobody but Warrington and
pleasure. Oh, he was capable of the grand passion, she very well knew,
but the woman to arouse it had not yet crossed his path.

"What do you think of it?" he asked.

She came closer to the lamp. It was only pretense, but Warrington was
not aware of it. She had stared at the sheet, reading only her
miserable thoughts. Presently she smiled; the girlish exuberance
amused her.

"She has put you quite out of reach. What a fine thing it must be to
have such faith in any man!"

"And I'm not worth in her esteem an ounce to the pound." He was quite
frank with himself. "I would to Heaven I were!"

"And this is the kind of woman that you will fall violently in love
with, some day, Dick. It will be your punishment." She had fully
recovered by now, and the old-time raillery was in the ascendant. "Oh,
she has read you fairly well. You are good and kind and wise, but
these virtues are not of equal weight. Your goodness and wisdom will
never catch up with your abundant kindness. I've a good deal to thank
you for, Dick; a good deal."

"Nonsense! The shoe is on the other foot. You have made half my plays
what they are to-day." He rang and ordered some coffee.

She dropped into his desk-chair and propped her chin in her palms,
viewing him through half-closed, speculative eyes.

"We've had some jolly larks together," he said. "I shall miss you; how
much I shall know only when you are gone. Is he good-looking?"

"Very. He is tall and straight, with a manly face, fine eyes, and a
good nose. You know that I'm always particular about a man's nose."

"And young, of course?" not wi