as a careless, debonair charm about the fellow
that made him stand out apart from the other revellers.

'Hello, sis!' he muttered, trying to pull himself together. 'My li'l
sister Elise--friends of mine here--forget their names, but jolly good
fellosh--and ladies too; nice li'l ladies'----

'Bravo, Durwent!' cried one of his friends, emitting a dismal howl of
encouragement.

'Dick! Boy-blue!' The breathy intensity of her voice seemed to rouse
some latent manhood in her brother. He stiffened his shoulders and
threw off his two supporting friends--a manoeuvre which enabled
Monsieur Beauchamp to present his trifling bill to the more sober of
the two. 'Why aren't you at Cambridge?'

'Advice of conshul,' he muttered. 'Refushe to answer.' He shook his
head solemnly from side to side.

With a swift gesture she turned to the American. 'This is my brother,'
she said, 'and I know where his rooms are in town. If you will bring
my cloak, I'll get him to my car and take him home.'

Selwyn nodded his understanding. He hardly knew what words he could
speak that might not hurt her.

'Listen, Dick dear,' she said, stepping very close to him and taking
his hand in hers. 'Please don't say anything. Just come with me, and
I'll take you to your rooms.'

Through the befuddled wits of the young fellow came the sound of the
voice that had dominated his childhood. He smelt the freshness of the
long grass in the Roselawn meadows; with his disordered imagination he
heard again the clattering of horses' hoofs on the country-road, and he
saw his sister with her copper-tinted hair flung to the breeze. With a
look of mixed wonder and pain in the yellowish blue of his eyes, he
allowed her to take his arm, and together they went slowly downstairs
and through the throng of diners craning their necks to see, while the
party he had left emitted snorts and howls of contempt.

Selwyn reached the door in time to help the drunken youth into the car,
and then placed the cloak about Elise's shoulders. She put out her
hand.

'Good-night,' she said.

'But you will permit me to come?' he said. 'I could be of assistance.'

'No--no,' she said tensely, 'please--I want to be alone with him. Have
no fear, Mr. Selwyn. Poor old Dick would do anything for me.'

He held her hand in his. 'Miss Durwent,' he said, 'I cannot express
what I mean. But if this makes any difference at all, it is only that
I admire you infinitely more for'----