ve not wasted
time."

Rowland's thoughts were crowding upon him fast. If Roderick was
resolute, why oppose him? If Mary was to be sacrificed, why, in that
way, try to save her? There was another way; it only needed a little
presumption to make it possible. Rowland tried, mentally, to summon
presumption to his aid; but whether it came or not, it found conscience
there before it. Conscience had only three words, but they were cogent.
"For her sake--for her sake," it dumbly murmured, and Rowland resumed
his argument. "I don't know what I would n't do," he said, "rather than
that Miss Garland should suffer."

"There is one thing to be said," Roderick answered reflectively. "She is
very strong."

"Well, then, if she 's strong, believe that with a longer chance, a
better chance, she will still regain your affection."

"Do you know what you ask?" cried Roderick. "Make love to a girl I
hate?"

"You hate?"

"As her lover, I should hate her!"

"Listen to me!" said Rowland with vehemence.

"No, listen you to me! Do you really urge my marrying a woman who would
bore me to death? I would let her know it in very good season, and then
where would she be?"

Rowland walked the length of the room a couple of times and then stopped
suddenly. "Go your way, then! Say all this to her, not to me!"

"To her? I am afraid of her; I want you to help me."

"My dear Roderick," said Rowland with an eloquent smile, "I can help you
no more!"

Roderick frowned, hesitated a moment, and then took his hat. "Oh, well,"
he said, "I am not so afraid of her as all that!" And he turned, as if
to depart.

"Stop!" cried Rowland, as he laid his hand on the door.

Roderick paused and stood waiting, with his irritated brow.

"Come back; sit down there and listen to me. Of anything you were to say
in your present state of mind you would live most bitterly to repent.
You don't know what you really think; you don't know what you really
feel. You don't know your own mind; you don't do justice to Miss
Garland. All this is impossible here, under these circumstances. You 're
blind, you 're deaf, you 're under a spell. To break it, you must leave
Rome."

"Leave Rome! Rome was never so dear to me."

"That 's not of the smallest consequence. Leave it instantly."

"And where shall I go?"

"Go to some place where you may be alone with your mother and Miss
Garland."

"Alone? You will not come?"

"Oh, if you desire it, I will come."

Roderick incl