finite motherhood that yearns over the
broken or the weak or the straying of humankind, and makes their pain
its own.

"Bring him with you to tea next Sabbath evening, my dear," the little
lady would say, with never a quiver or inflection of voice betraying
that she had detected the girl's anxiety for her friend.

But more infrequently, as the days went on, could she secure Dick for
an hour on Sabbath evening in the quiet, sweet little nook of the
professor's dining-room. He was so often held by his work, but more
often by his attendance upon Iola, for between Iola and him there had
grown up and ripened rapidly an intimacy that Margaret regarded with
distrust and fear. How she hated herself for her suspicions! How she
fought to forbid them harbour in her heart! But how persistently they
made entrance and to abide.

The World of Fashion is, for the most part, a desert island of gleaming
sands, at times fanned by perfume-laden zephyrs and lapped by shining
waters. Then those who dwell there disport themselves, careless of all
save the lapping, shining waters and the gleaming sands out of which
they build their sand castles with such concentrated eagerness and such
painful industry. At other times there come tempests, sudden and out
of clear skies, which sweep, with ruthless besom, castles and
castle-builders alike, and leave desolation and empty spaces for a time.

A silly world it is, and hard of heart, and like to die of ennui at
times. And hence it welcomes with pathetic joy all who can bring some
new fancy or trick to their castle-building, rejecting all other without
remorse. To this World of Fashion Iola had offered herself, giving
freely her great voice and her superb body, now developed into the full
splendour of its rich and sensuous beauty. And how they gathered about
her and gave her unstinted their flatteries and homage, taking toll the
while of the very soul-stuff in her. Devoutly they worshipped at the
shrine of that heavenlike and heaven-given instrument wherewith she
could tickle their senses, rejoicing, during the pauses of their envies
and hatreds, such among them as were female, and of their lusts and
despairs such as were male, in her warm flesh tints and full flesh
curves and the draperies withal wherewith, with consummate art, she
revealed or enhanced the same. For Iola was possessed of a fatal,
maddening beauty, and an alluring fascination of manner that wrought
destruction among men and fury am