ting now with
his elbows on the table, and the fingers of his right hand supporting
his cheek, as he regarded Philip steadily.

"Well, if one can not contrive to do what one wants, he should, I
suppose, do the second best thing. The only thing for me to do--the
thing that'll be a comfort for me to look back on--is to render Phillida
some service. In short, to save her life and make her happy."

"How do you propose to do that?" asked Millard.

"I've already done it, old fellow," said Philip, with a mixture of
triumph and regret in his voice. "Dr. Gunstone said to Aunt Callender,
after talking with Phillida, that unless her engagement with you were
renewed she would probably not recover. I wouldn't have told you this
for the world if I had found you didn't love her. She'd better die now
than marry you and discover that you married her from pity."

Millard went to his desk and took out the note from Mrs. Callender in
which Phillida had refused to see him. He handed it to Philip.

"I got that last week, and it seemed final," he said huskily. "I have
found life almost more than I could carry since, Philip."

Philip read the note and then returned it to Millard.

"That's some of her confounded scruples," he said. "She told me that she
had ruined your life. She thinks you wish to marry her from pity, and
she'd rather die like a brave girl than consent to that. But she loves
you and nobody else."

"I wish I were sure of it," said Millard.

Philip sat a good while silent.

"Charley," he said, "the end I have in view justifies the breach of
confidence, I hope. I have the assurance of her feelings toward you from
her own lips, and that not many hours ago. She would have died rather
than tell me had she thought it possible I would tell you. And I would
have died rather than betray her if I hadn't believed your feelings
toward her unchanged."

Saying this he helped himself to a cigar from the tray on the table and
lighted it, and then rose to leave.

"What can I do, Philip? I seem absolutely shut out from making any
further advances by this note," demanded Millard.

"You mustn't expect any further aid or advice from me. I've done all you
can expect," said Gouverneur. "Good-by."

And without shaking hands he went out of the door into the main hall.
Millard followed him and, as they reached the elevator, said with
emotion:

"Philip, you have done one of the bravest acts."

"Pshaw! Charley," said Philip, half-peevis