o notice the kind people, once
their friends, who cut them now. Every now and again they make a spring
like fish to the top of the water, see the sun, hope that the light and
air are to be theirs again, after all--and then back they are pushed,
down into the dark, their element now, they are told. Oh! there's comedy
there, Miss Rand, if you care to look for it."

She said nothing; the fierce bitterness in his voice had made him seem
older suddenly, as though, in this portion of his journey, be had spent
many, many years.

"I must cut it short--you'll have had enough of this. I couldn't stand
it. I left London and went abroad. After that, what didn't I do? I was
everywhere, I did everything. Sometimes I was straight, sometimes I
wasn't. I was always bitter, wild with fury when I thought of that old
woman--of her complacency, sitting there and striking down all the poor
devils that had been less fortunate than she. All those years abroad I
nourished that anger and, at last, when I thought that I'd been abroad
long enough, that people would have forgotten, perhaps, and forgiven, I
came back. I came back to be revenged on my grandmother and to
re-establish myself. I'd got some money, enough for a little annuity, and
I was careful now--I wasn't going to make any mistakes this time." He
laughed bitterly. "One doesn't learn much with age. What a fool I was!
I've got the reputation I had before, whether I'm good or bad. It would
all be hopeless--utterly hopeless--if it weren't for one thing----"

She looked up, and as she glanced at him, could feel the furious beating
of her heart.

"I'd go back at once--I've almost gone back already--not abroad, that
never again for long--but back to my friends, the unfortunates--" He
laughed. "They're anxious to have me. They'll welcome me. I can have my
cards and the rest then, with no one to object or to lecture--and I'll
be done for quite nicely, completely done for."

Then he pulled himself together, squared his shoulders. "But one thing
keeps me," he said. "Something's happened in the last few weeks--I've
met somebody----"

"Yes," she said almost in a whisper.

"Somebody who's made it worth while for me to fight on a bit." She could
feel his agitation: his voice, although he tried very hard to control
it, was shaking. Then he laughed, raised his voice and caught and held
her eyes with his.

"But there, Miss Rand. I've talked a fearful lot, only I wanted to tell
you--I had to te