ing mad because
of it. He sat there now before him, an odd combination of craven
weakness and giant strength because of it. In the face of such a
revelation, Covington felt petty; he felt negative.

Less than ten minutes ago he himself had looked into the same eyes that
had so stirred this man. He had seen nothing there particularly to
disturb any one. They were very beautiful eyes, and the woman back of
them was very beautiful. He had a feeling that, day in and day out for
a great many years, they would remain beautiful. They had helped him
last night to make the city his own; they had helped him this morning
to recover his balance; they helped him now to see straight again.

But, after all, it was arrant nonsense for Hamilton to act like this.
Admitting the man believed in himself,--and Covington believed that
much,--he was, after all, Teddy Hamilton. The fact remained, even as
he himself admitted, that he was not fit to be in the same room with
her. It was not possible for a man in a month to cleanse himself of
the accumulated mire of ten years.

Furthermore, that too was beside the point. The girl cared nothing
about him. She particularly desired not to care about him or any one
else. It was not consistent with her scheme of life. She had told him
as much. It was this that had made his own engagement to her possible.

Monte rose from his chair and paced the room a moment. If possible, he
wished to settle this matter once for all. On the whole, it was more
difficult than he had anticipated. When he came down he had intended
to dispose of it in five minutes. Suddenly he wheeled and faced
Hamilton.

"It seems to me," he said, "that if a man loved a woman,--really loved
her,--then one of the things he would be most anxious about would be to
make her happy. Are you with me on that?"

Hamilton raised his head.

"Yes," he answered.

"Then," continued Monte, "it does n't seem to me that you are going
about it in just the right way. Waving pistols and throwing fits--"

"I was mad, I tell you," Hamilton broke in.

"Admitting that," resumed Monte, "I should think the best thing you
could do would be to go away and sober up."

"Go away?"

"I would. I'd go a long way--to Japan or India."

The old mad light came back to Hamilton's eyes.

"Did she ask you to tell me that?"

"No," answered Monte; "it is my own idea. Because, you see, if you
don't go she'll have to."

"What do you mean?"