e marriage
was discussed with a little wonder. Mrs. Nicoll was one of the old New
Yorkers, a Ludlow herself. It was fortunate for Lily's prestige that her
plain, unambitious father was dead, and her mother kept well in the
background. No one quite knew about the fortune.

Richard Weir was certainly hard hit. He made a pretence of devoting
himself to his studies to keep away from Gaynor's raillery. But one day
he said to Jim,--

"Something ought to be done to save Miss Ludlow from such an awful
sacrifice; don't you think so, Underhill? That old aunt has egged her
on, and she's doing this for her mother's sake. If I was in a position
to marry, I know I could persuade her to throw it up. What shall I do,
Jim? I know she really loves me. She is heroic about it. She thinks it
would spoil my life in the very beginning. I don't know how father would
take it; and there's such a family of us to provide for."

"Let her alone," returned Jim, gruffly. So she had played with this
honest-hearted young fellow as well; and the saddest of all was that he
really believed in her.

"She will marry Williamson, no matter what comes. Weir, I'm sorry enough
I introduced you, if you are going to take it that way. Lily Ludlow is
a flirt, pure and simple. I've never believed it until now. There is no
use in our wasting our sympathies upon her."

"You don't half do her justice, Jim; if you could hear her side--"

"I have heard it," laconically. "Weir, I'm awful sorry," and he wrung
the young fellow's hand.

There was another aspect to Jim beside the mortification. He had dropped
behind in his standing. Late hours and planning all sorts of amusements
had distracted his attention. And there was another fact to face. He had
been spending money with a lavishness that he wondered at now. He had
borrowed of Weir, of Gaynor, of Ben. When he counted up the total he was
dismayed. His father had been generous. They had all been very proud of
him. How could he confess the miserable fiasco to any one? Perhaps,
after he had taken his degree--

But he had to study hard for that. No more frolicking about! He had a
good deal of resolution, when it was put to the test. He would ask
sober-going Ben to lend him a hundred dollars, which he would pay back
by degrees. No girl should ever win a smile out of him again. He would
never borrow when he was once out of this difficulty.

He knew Dick Weir really needed his money, and this emboldened him to
apply to