tient person I ever met. If anyone dares even to have a different
opinion from you, you can hardly contain yourself. I wish you could see
your face! You look like this."

Mollie drew herself up, making a valiant attempt to draw her eyebrows
together, send out lightning sparks from her eyes, inflate her nostrils,
and tug the ends of an imaginary moustache at one and the same time; and
succeeded in looking at once so pretty and so comical that, instead of
being convicted, Jack laughed more heartily than before.

"As bad as that? Really? I must be ferocious! It's rather unkind of
you to pitch into me like this, Miss Mollie, when I have just been
paying you compliments. It's a good thing I am going away so soon, as I
am such a desperate character. There is no saying to what lengths Mr
Farrell and I might get if we were long together."

"Oh!" Mollie's face sobered, and a little chill came over her spirits.
"You are still determined, then? Nothing has happened to make you
change your mind?"

"What should have happened?" replied Jack the ungallant. "There has
been nothing behind the scenes, Miss Mollie--nothing that you do not
know of. Only I prefer to go back to my work--that's all. I consented
to remain for a week to please Mr Farrell, but I don't see that I am
called upon to make any further sacrifice. I have my life's work before
me, and just now it needs all the attention I can give it. Besides, Mr
Farrell and I would never get on; I should be a disturbing element which
would not improve matters for any of you. Between ourselves, I think
there is little doubt who will be the Chosen, as you express it. Your
sister is evidently first in favour. Witness your experience a few
minutes ago."

Mollie stared before her, thoughtful and absent-minded. One word in
Jack's speech had detached itself from the rest and printed itself on
her brain. Sacrifice! He had stayed at the Court for a week as a
matter of necessity, and did not feel called upon to sacrifice his
inclinations any further. Sacrifice, indeed! The word rankled the more
as she realised how differently she herself had described the past five
days, and how high Jack Melland's presence had ranked among the
pleasures of the new life. When she projected her thoughts into the
future, and imagined living through the same scenes without his
companionship, it was extraordinary how flat and dull they suddenly
became. But he called it a "sacrifice" to