ays I will soon forget her."

"Will any saying keep her from being so in love with you as to reap
misery? You don't know what the consequences may be! Her love wakened
by yours, may be infinitely stronger than yours!"

"Oh, women don't now-a-days die for love!" said his lordship, feeling a
little flattered.

"It would be well for some of them if they did! they never get over it.
She mayn't die, true! but she may live to hate the man that led her to
think he loved her, and taught her to believe in nobody. Her whole
life may be darkened because you would amuse yourself."

"She has her share of the amusement, and I have my share, by Jove, of
the danger! She's a very pretty, clever, engaging girl--though she is
but a housemaid!" said Forgue, as if uttering a sentiment of quite
communistic liberality.

"What you say shows the more danger to her! If you admire her so much
you must have behaved to her so much the more like a genuine lover?
But any suffering the affair may have caused you, will hardly, I fear,
persuade you to the only honourable escape!"

"By Jupiter!" cried Forgue. "Would you have me marry the girl? That's
coming it rather strong with your friendship for the cobbler!"

"No, my lord; if things are as you represent, I have no such desire.
What I want is to put a stop to the whole affair. Every man has to be
his brother's keeper; and if our western notions concerning women be
true, a man is yet more bound to be his sister's keeper. He who does
not recognize this, be he earl or prince, is viler than the murderous
prowler after a battle. For a man to say 'she can take care of
herself,' is to speak out of essential hell. The beauty of love is,
that it does not take care of itself, but of the person loved. To
approach a girl in any other fashion is a mean scoundrelly thing. I am
glad it has already brought on you some of the chastisement it
deserves."

His lordship started to his feet in a fresh access of rage.

"You dare say that to my face!"

"Assuredly, my lord. The fact stands just so."

"I gave the fellow as good as he gave me!"

"That is nothing to the point--though from the state I found you in, it
is hard to imagine. Pardon me, I do not believe you behaved like what
you call a coward."

Lord Forgue was almost crying with rage.

"I have not done with him yet!" he stammered. "If I only knew who the
rascal is! If I don't pay him out, may--"

"Stop, stop, my lord. All that is mer