o sickened by Cedric's want of restraint and
childish abandon of grief that he was tempted to give up the struggle.
Only Elizabeth's pleading voice was in his ears-"You will bear with
him--you will be patient with him, will you not?" and then again he
would nerve himself to fresh effort.

All at once a thought came to him as an inspiration. Cedric had been
giving way to a perfect paroxysm of despair, and Malcolm had with some
sternness remonstrated with him on his want of manliness and
self-control. "You are making things worse," he said; "why don't you
take your trouble like a man?" But the rebuke only exasperated Cedric.

"Oh, it is all very well for you to talk," he returned angrily, "but if
you were in my place you would not bear it any better. You are so
immaculate, Herrick, you can't make allowance for a poor miserable
devil like me. I don't believe you have ever cared for a woman in your
life. Good heavens!" as he caught sight of Malcolm's face, "do you mean
that you have ever been in love?"

Then it was that the thought came to Malcolm--Cedric should know that
he was a fellow-sufferer.

"I do mean it," he returned steadily, "and I also mean to say that your
love is as water unto wine compared to mine; that is, if we can call
such mad infatuation by so sacred a name." And there was a tone of
contempt in Malcolm's voice that made Cedric wince.

"Don't be so hard on a fellow," he muttered.

"My dear boy, I would not be hard on you for worlds; if I speak of
myself at such a moment, it is only that you may see that I am fully
competent to sympathise with you."

"Won't you tell me more, Herrick?"

"No, dear lad, I think not, except that my case is even more hopeless
than yours, for the only woman I have loved or can love will soon marry
another man," and here Malcolm's face looked gray and worn. "I need not
add," he continued hastily, "that all this is between us both."

"Of course--of course," was the eager answer. "I am awfully sorry--I am
indeed. I wish I had not bullied you so."

Malcolm smiled a little sadly.

"Never mind that now. I only want to say this, we must take our
punishment like men, and not whine like fractious children who want the
moon--the moon is no nearer for all that." He sighed a little bitterly,
for he was tired and depressed; and after that Cedric was more
reasonable, and Malcolm regained some of his lost influence.

It was nearly morning before Malcolm could induce him to lie do