o her kind, eccentric
champion), the result would probably be to confirm Malkin in his
resolution of self-sacrifice. The man must be saved, if possible, from
such calamity, and this would not be effected by merely demonstrating
that he was on the highroad to ruin. It was necessary to try another
tack.

'It seems to me, Malkin,' he resumed, gravely, 'that it is you who are
deficient in right feeling. In offering to marry this poor woman, you
did her the gravest wrong.'

'What? How?'

'You know that it is impossible for you to love her. You know that you
will repent, and that she will be aware of it. You are not the kind of
man to conceal your emotions. Bella will grow up, and--well, the state
of things won't tend to domestic felicity. For Mrs Jacox's own sake, it
is your duty to put an end to this folly before it has gone too far.'

The other gave earnest ear, but with no sign of shaken conviction.

'Yes,' he said. 'I know this is one way of looking at it. But it
assumes that a man can't control himself, that his sense of honour
isn't strong enough to keep him in the right way. I don't think you
quite understand me. I am not a passionate man; the proof is that I
have never fallen in love since I was sixteen. I think a great deal of
domestic peace, a good deal more than of romantic enthusiasm. If I
marry Mrs. Jacox, I shall make her a good and faithful husband,--so
much I can safely say of myself.'

He waited, but Earwaker was not ready with a rejoinder.

'And there's another point. I have always admitted the defect of my
character--an inability to settle down. Now, if I run away to New
Zealand, with the sense of having dishonoured myself, I shall be a mere
Wandering Jew for the rest of my life. All hope of redemption will be
over. Of the two courses now open to me, that of marriage with Mrs.
Jacox is decidedly the less disadvantageous. Granting that I have made
a fool of myself, I must abide by the result, and make the best of it.
And the plain fact is, I _can't_ treat her so disgracefully; I _can't_
burden my conscience in this way. I believe it would end in suicide; I
do, indeed.'

'This sounds all very well, but it is weakness and selfishness.'

'How can you say so?'

'There's no proving to so short-sighted a man the result of his
mistaken course. I've a good mind to let you have your way just for the
satisfaction of saying afterwards, "Didn't I tell you so?" You propose
to behave with abominable injustic