what you told me of her influence over
you? Or have you altered your opinion--and is that the reason why you
keep away from us?"

Romayne answered: "My opinion remains unchanged. All that I said to you
of Miss Eyrecourt, I believe as firmly as ever."

His lordship remonstrated, naturally enough. "Then why remain away from
the good influence? Why--if it really _can_ be controlled--risk another
return of that dreadful nervous delusion?"

"I have had another return."

"Which, as you yourself believe, might have been prevented! Romayne, you
astonish me."

There was a time of silence, before Romayne answered this. He was a
little mysterious when he did reply. "You know the old saying, my good
friend--of two evils, choose the least. I bear my sufferings as one of
two evils, and the least of the two."

Lord Loring appeared to feel the necessity of touching a delicate
subject with a light hand. He said, in his pleasant way: "Stella isn't
the other evil, I suppose?"

"Most assuredly not."

"Then what is it?"

Romayne answered, almost passionately: "My own weakness and selfishness!
Faults which I must resist, or become a mean and heartless man. For
me, the worst of the two evils is there. I respect and admire Miss
Eyrecourt--I believe her to be a woman in a thousand--don't ask me to
see her again! Where is Penrose? Let us talk of something else."

Whether this wild way of speaking offended Lord Loring, or only
discouraged him, I cannot say. I heard him take his leave in these
words: "You have disappointed me, Romayne. We will talk of something
else the next time we meet." The study door was opened and closed.
Romayne was left by himself.

Solitude was apparently not to his taste just then. I heard him call to
Penrose. I heard Penrose ask: "Do you want me?"

Romayne answered: "God knows I want a friend--and I have no friend near
me but you! Major Hynd is away, and Lord Loring is offended with me."

Penrose asked why.

Romayne, thereupon, entered on the necessary explanation. As a priest
writing to priests, I pass over details utterly uninteresting to us. The
substance of what he said amounted to this: Miss Eyrecourt had produced
an impression on him which was new to him in his experience of women.
If he saw more of her, it might end--I ask your pardon for repeating
the ridiculous expression--in his "falling in love with her." In this
condition of mind or body, whichever it may be, he would probably be
incapable