ny rules govern it, that whatever one does, is in accordance
with some rules, even though it may be at variance with certain others."

He turned the little hand over and kissed the palm.

"Certain things there be which every player should possess," he added in
the same tone. "For the woman, beauty--or if not this, a cleverness
which is clever enough to manifest itself only in results. Also, if a
woman hath not beauty, it is imperative that she be an adept at the
game. Innocence, in one party, not in both, is a valuable asset, since
one of the objects of the game is the winning of it. Were both to have
it, it would become in very truth a child's game. Wealth is also a good
thing to have,--and this for both players,--since one or both are apt to
pay dearly in the end. And wealth is also nearly always an object in the
game. It hath many points, you see, which must be remembered."

"I fear it is a hard game," said Varia, and shook her head in doubt.
"I--I cannot remember things very well sometimes."

"Even that hath been found an advantage at times," said Marius, and
laughed softly. He changed his place and sat on the edge of the couch
beside her, and possessed himself of her other hand. Varia glanced from
her prisoned fingers to his face and back again.

"The game may be played fast, or it may be played slowly," said Marius,
his eyes on her perplexed face. "In most cases, the faster the better,
lest one or other of the players should tire. What say you,
sweetheart--shall ours be short and therefore merrier?"

He drew her back into his arms, and raised her face with his free hand
and kissed her lips.

"No!" said Varia, quickly, and struggled slightly to sit up.

"Yes--that is in the game!" said Marius, and would not let her go. "Does
it come hard at first, my sweet? Never mind--soon you will like it
better. Besides, I have told you that it is part of the game. So--rest
quiet, and I will show you how else it goes."

In her eyes he read a struggle to recall something gone before and all
but forgotten; a mental groping, painful in its intensity. She ceased
her resistance, and he drew her closer and kissed her many times, with a
growing passion which surprised himself. Her breath came quicker, but in
her eyes was only the dumb striving after things forgotten, with no fear
at all nor anger with him. His lips strayed where they would; in her
strange absorption she seemed scarcely conscious of him.

"Truly I did well to