him company to Europe, he has accepted with enthusiasm, and I cannot
retract."

"Are you going to Europe simply for his sake?"

Rowland hesitated a moment. "I think I may almost say so."

Miss Garland walked along in silence. "Do you mean to do a great deal
for him?" she asked at last.

"What I can. But my power of helping him is very small beside his power
of helping himself."

For a moment she was silent again. "You are very generous," she said,
almost solemnly.

"No, I am simply very shrewd. Roderick will repay me. It 's an
investment. At first, I think," he added shortly afterwards, "you would
not have paid me that compliment. You distrusted me."

She made no attempt to deny it. "I did n't see why you should wish to
make Roderick discontented. I thought you were rather frivolous."

"You did me injustice. I don't think I 'm that."

"It was because you are unlike other men--those, at least, whom I have
seen."

"In what way?"