regard him otherwise than as a diversion.

But of late the truth had forced itself upon him that the woman
wished to entangle him in a serious affair. He could not afford to
jeopardise his reputation at the very outset of his career by any
such entanglement, or by the appearance of one. He cast about for
some excuse to leave the Palace, yet this would separate him in a
measure from his association with Berene, beside incurring the enmity
of the Baroness, and possibly causing Berene to suffer from her anger
as well.

He seemed to be caught like a fly in a net. And again the thought of
his future and his ambitions confronted him, and he felt abashed in
his own eyes, as he realised how far away these ambitions had seemed
of late, since he had allowed his emotions to overrule his brain.

What was this ignorant daughter of a French professor, that she
should stand between him and glory, riches and power? Desperate
diseases needed desperate remedies. He had been an occasional caller
at the Lawrence homestead ever since he came to Beryngford. Without
being conceited on the subject, he realised that Mabel Lawrence would
not reject him as a suitor.

The masculine party is very dull, or the feminine very deceptive,
when a man makes a mistake in his impressions on this subject.

That afternoon the young editor left his office at five o'clock and
asked Miss Lawrence to be his wife.