accepted the charge of black-guardism; it didn't
matter much. My cousin will never forgive me, though she has an air of
friendliness once more. And I suspect she had told her friend Miss Nunn
all about me. Perhaps to put Miss Nunn on her guard--Heaven knows!'

He laughed merrily.

'Miss Nunn, I dare say, needs no protection against you.'

'I had an odd thought whilst I was there.' Everard leaned his head
back, and half closed his eyes. 'Miss Nunn, I warrant, considers
herself proof against any kind of wooing. She is one of the grandly
severe women; a terror, I imagine, to any young girl at their place who
betrays weak thoughts of matrimony. Now, it's rather a temptation to a
man of my kind. There would be something piquant in making vigorous
love to Miss Nunn, just to prove her sincerity.'

Micklethwaite shook his head.

'Unworthy of you, Barfoot. Of course you couldn't really do such a
thing.'

'But such women really challenge one. If she were rich, I think I could
do it without scruple.'

'You seem to be taking it for granted,' said the mathematician,
smiling, 'that this lady would--would respond to your lovemaking.'

'I confess to you that women have spoilt me. And I am rather resentful
when any one cries out against me for lack of respect to womanhood. I
have been the victim of this groundless veneration for females. Now you
shall hear the story; and bear in mind that you are the only person to
whom I have ever told it. I never tried to defend myself when I was
vilified on all hands. Probably the attempt would have been useless;
and then it would certainly have increased the odium in which I stood.
I think I'll tell cousin Mary the truth some day; it would be good for
her.'

The listener looked uneasy, but curious.

'Well now, I was staying in the summer with some friends of ours at a
little place called Upchurch, on a branch line from Oxford. The people
were well-to-do--Goodall their name--and went in for philanthropy. Mrs.
Goodall always had a lot of Upchurch girls about her, educated and not;
her idea was to civilize one class by means of the other, and to give a
new spirit to both. My cousin Mary was staying at the house whilst I
was there. She had more reasonable views than Mrs. Goodall, but took a
great interest in what was going on.

'Now one of the girls in process of spiritualization was called Amy
Drake. In the ordinary course of things I shouldn't have met her, but
she served in a shop wher