"Compare him with other men. Weigh him in the
balances of a remorseless common-sense. Study him
under a microscope and keep your reason clear. The
girl who rushes into marriage in a great city under the
conditions in which you and I live is a fool. More
girls are ruined in New York by marriage than by any
other process. The thunderbolt out of the blue hasn't
struck you yet, but when it does----"

"I'll tell you, Jane."

"Will you, honestly?"

The question was asked with wistful tenderness.

"I promise. And you mustn't think I don't
appreciate this visit and the chance you've given again
to enter the `big world' you're always telling me
about. I just can't do it, dear. It's not my world."

"All right, my little foolish virgin, have it your
own way. When you're lonely, run up to my studio
to see me. I won't ask you to pose or meet any of the
dangerous men of my circle. We'll lock the doors and
have a snug time all by ourselves."

"I'll remember."

The clock in the Metropolitan Tower chimed the hour