ht
cards, "that Solon Denney first told me he was about to marry."

Discursive gossip seemed best, I thought.

"Two long yellow braids," she remarked. It would be too much to say that
her words were snapped out.

"And now he has told me again--I mean that he's going to marry again."

"What did you do?" she asked more cordially, studying the cards.

"The first time I went to war," I answered absently, having to play up
the ace and deuce of diamonds.

"I have never been able to care much for yellow hair," she observed,
also studying the cards; "of course, it's _effective_, in a way,
but--may I ask what you're going to do this time?"

"This time I'm going to play the game."

Again she studied the cards.

"It's refining," I insisted. "It teaches. I'm learning to be a
Sannyasin."

Eight other cards were down, and I engrossed myself with them.

"Is a Sannyasin rather dull?"

"In the Bhagavad-gita," I answered, "he is to be known as a Sannyasin
who does not hate and does not love anything."

"How are you progressing?" I felt her troubling eyes full upon me, and I
suspected there was mockery in their depths.

"Oh, well, fairishly--but of course I haven't studied as faithfully as I
might."

"I should think you couldn't afford to be negligent."

I played up the four of spades and put a king of hearts in the space
thus happily secured.

"I have read," I answered absently, "that a benevolent man should allow
himself a few faults to keep his friends in countenance. I mustn't be
everything perfect, you know."

"Don't restrain yourself in the least on my account."

"You are my sole trouble," I said, playing a black seven on a red eight.
She looked off the table as I glanced up at her.

I am a patient enough man, I believe, and I hope meek and lowly, but I
saw suddenly that not all the beatitudes should be taken without
reservation.

"I repeat," I said, for she had not spoken, "your presence is the most
troubling thing I know. It keeps me back in my studies."

"There's a red five for that black six," she observed.

"Thank you!" and I made the play.

"Then you're not a Sannyasin yet?"

"I've nearly taken the first degree. Sometimes after hard practice I can
succeed in not hating anything for as much as an hour."

I dealt eight more cards and became, to outward seeming, I hope,
absorbed in the new aspect of the game.

"Perseverance will be rewarded," she said kindly. "You can't expect to
learn it all a