standing with my father," Roddy assured her, "is one of
long standing. I've never made a success of what he's given me to do,
and this is only the last of a series of failures. You mustn't try to
make me out an unselfish person. I am sacrificing nothing. Rather, in
a way, I have gained my independence. At least, if I get a position
now, people can't say I obtained it through my father's influence. Of
course, it's awkward to be poor," added Roddy dispassionately,
"because I had meant to ask you to marry me."

With an exclamation the girl partly rose and then sank back,
retreating to the farthest limit of the bench.

"Mr. Forrester!" she began with spirit.

"I know what you're going to say," interrupted Roddy confidently. "But
I ought to tell you that that doesn't weigh with me at all. I never
could see," he exclaimed impatiently, "why, if you love a girl, the
fact that she is engaged should make any difference--do _you_? It is,
of course, an obstacle, but if you are the right man, and the other
man is not, it certainly is best for everybody that you should make
that plain to her before she marries the wrong man. In your case it
certainly has made no difference to me, and I mean to fight for you
until you turn back from the altar. Of course, when Vega told me you
were engaged to him it was a shock; but you must admit I didn't let it
worry me much. I told you as soon as I saw you that I loved you----"

The girl was looking at him so strangely that Roddy was forced to
pause.

"I beg your pardon!" he said.

The eyes of Inez were searching his closely. When she spoke her voice
was cold and even.

"Then it was Colonel Vega," she said, "who told you I was engaged to
him."

"Of course," said Roddy. "He told me the night we crossed from
Curacao."

Deep back in the serious, searching eyes Roddy thought that for an
instant he detected a smile, mischievous and mocking; but as he leaned
forward the eyes again grew grave and critical. With her head slightly
on one side and with her hands clasped on her knee, Inez regarded him
with curiosity.

"And that made no difference to you?" she asked.

"Why should it?" demanded Roddy. "A cat can look at a king; why may
not I look at the most wonderful and lovely----"

In the same even tones of one asking an abstract question the girl
interrupted him.

"But you must have known," she said, "that I would not engage myself
to any man unless I loved him. Or do you think that, like t