sibly a kind of fellow-feeling. Besides, accepting
ready-made judgments concerning other people does not commend itself to
my mind on any score of logic or sound sense. It is just a trifle less
insane than taking up other people's quarrels, but only just."

"I dare say you're right; only it is difficult for most of us to be so
consistently, so faultlessly logical. No doubt most of the things they
say about him are not true."

"But what are most of the things they say, Mrs. Falkner? Now I, for my
part, never can get anybody to _say_ anything. They will hint
unutterables and look unutterables, but when it comes to _saying_--no,
thank you, they are not taking any."

"But he is such a very mysterious personage. Not a soul here knows
anything about him--about his affairs, I mean--and who he is."

"Perhaps that enhances his attractiveness in my eyes, Mrs. Falkner.
There is prestige in the unknown."

"Not of a good kind, as a rule," she replied, and then stopped short,
for a dry malicious cough on the part of George brought home to her the
consciousness that she was putting her foot in it pretty effectively.
For the same held good of the man to whom she was talking; about
Laurence Stanninghame and his affairs not a soul there knew anything.

Not a soul? Yes, one, peradventure. For between himself and Lilith the
interchange of ideas had been plenteous and frequent, and the subtile,
sympathetic vein existing between them had deepened and grown apace.
About himself and his affairs he had _told_ her nothing, yet it is
probable that he could tell her but little on this head that would be
news in any sense of the word. Lilith's aunt, however, who was a
good-hearted soul, without a grain of malice in her composition, felt
supremely uncomfortable and quite savage with George, who was now
grinning, sourly and significantly.

None of this by-play was lost upon Laurence, but he showed no
consciousness. He knew that George Falkner detested him--detested him
cordially, yet he in no wise reciprocated this dislike. He did not blame
George. Probably he would have felt the same way himself, had he been in
George's place and at George's age; for the latter had the advantage of
him on the side of youth by at least ten years. He was inclined to like
him, and at any rate was sorry for him, perhaps with a dash of pity that
came near contempt. Poor George did give himself away so, and it was so
foolish--so supremely foolish. Yet not for a mom