wn mind; all
the temptations in the world could not lure her a step from a
premeditated path, but because Nature had cast her in a fragile mould,
and given her flaxen hair and a baby skin, and minute morsels of hands
and feet, the world adopted protective airs towards her and spoke of her
approvingly as "sweet and gentle."

Francis Manning, the first of the two men to make a declaration of love,
was a big giant of a man with a handsome face, an amiable disposition,
and a supreme concern for his own well-being. He had reached the age
and position when it seemed desirable to marry, and, that being the
case, there was no doubt upon whom his choice would fall.

For years past Lilith Wastneys had stood to Francis as a type of all
that was sweet and desirable in women. In his eyes she was beautiful,
though in reality she had no claim to the title. The love-light in his
eyes transformed her pale locks into gold, her colourless eyes into
deepest blue; her height was to him "just as high as my heart"; her low
voice, her drooping lids, her noiseless movements--each and all appeared
to him the perfection of their kind.

Francis was whole-heartedly in love, but it was not in his nature to be
otherwise than leisurely. While a more impetuous lover would have
hastened to put his fate to the test, he was content to continue the
even tenor of his way, indulge in confident dreams of the future, and
leave it to fate to decide the moment of avowal. Nothing on earth was
farther from his suspicions than the fact that it was Lilith herself,
who, in the ultimate moment, played the part of fate.

She wore a white dress. Lilith invariably wore white in the evening,--
simple, little white satin frocks devoid of ornament, save for a soft
swathing of tulle, from which her shoulders arose, fair and rounded.
Whatever might be the fashion of the day, that soft swathe of tulle was
in its place; however puffed and waved might be the coiffure of the
other women in the room, Lilith's flaxen locks were always smooth and
demure. There was a distinction in such simplicity. People looked at
her and questioned. They watched her with puzzled eyes. Was she
pretty? Certainly not pretty. Did they admire her? They were not at
all sure that they did. _But there was something about her_!

It was Lilith who led the way into the palm-shaded retreat, and chose
the most secluded corner. She and Francis were engaged to dance the
next number together, b