d led a stirring life of its kind. But as it was
necessary to strike the pathetic key, seeing that Claudius had the
heroic symphony to himself, Barker embroidered skilfully a little
picture in which he appeared more sinned against than sinning, inasmuch
as he had been called upon to play the avenging angel. He had succeeded,
he admitted, in accomplishing his object, which in his opinion had been
a justifiable one, but it had left a sore place in his heart, and he had
never quite recovered from the pain it had given him to give so much
pain--wholesome pain indeed, but what of that?--to another.

"It was in New York, some years ago," he said. "A friend of mine, such a
dear good fellow, was very much in love with a reigning beauty, a
Miss--; well, you will guess the name. She threw him over, after a three
months' engagement, in the most heartless manner, and he was so
broken-hearted that he drank himself to death in six months at the club.
He died there one winter's evening under very painful circumstances."

"A noble end," said Margaret, scornfully. "What a proud race we
Americans are!" Barker sighed skilfully and looked reproachfully at
Margaret.

"Poor chap!" he ejaculated, "I saw him die. And that night," continued
Mr. Barker, with a mournful impressiveness, "I determined that the woman
who had caused so much unhappiness should be made to know what
unhappiness is. I made up my mind that she should suffer what my friend
had suffered. I knew her very well,--in fact she was a distant
connection; so I went to her at a ball at the Van Sueindells'. I had
engaged her to dance the German[2], and had sent her some very handsome
roses. I had laid my plan already, and after a little chaff and a few
turns I challenged her to a set flirtation. 'Let us swear,' I said, 'to
be honest, and let us make a bet of a dozen pairs of gloves. If one of
us really falls in love, he or she must acknowledge it and pay the
gloves.' It was agreed, for she was in great spirits that night, and
laughed at the idea that she could ever fall in love with _me_--poor me!
who have so little that is attractive. At first she thought it was only
a joke, but as I began to visit her regularly and to go through all the
formalities of love-making, she became interested. We were soon the talk
of the town, and everybody said we were going to be married. Still the
engagement did not come out, and people waited, open-mouthed, wondering
what next. At last I thought I