woman and as certain of a calamitous ending. So he made excuses for delay,
fully intending never to yield. But although Alice did not speak of her
plan again, he found himself more and more attracted by it, caught himself
speculating about various apartments he happened to see as he went about
the streets. She must have been conscious of what was going on in his mind;
for when, a month after she had spoken, he said abruptly: "Where was that
apartment you saw?" she went straight on discussing the details as if there
had been no interval. She was ready to act.

The apartment was taken in her name--Mrs. Cammack, the "Mrs." being
necessary to account for him. They selected the furniture together, he as
interested as she and very pleased to find that she had the same good taste
in those matters that she had in dress. She took all the troubles and
annoyances upon herself. When she invited him to assist in the arrangement,
it was in matters that amused him and at times when she was sure he had
nothing else to do. It is not strange that he got a wholly false idea of
the difficulties of setting up an establishment.

After a month of selecting and discussing, of pleasure in the new
experience, pleasure in Alice's enthusiasm and excitement and happiness, he
found himself master of five attractive and comfortable rooms, his
clothing, his books, all his belongings properly arranged. The door was
opened for him by a cleanlooking coloured maid, with a tiny white cap on
her head.

As he looked around and then at the beautiful face with the wistful,
gold-brown eyes so anxiously following his wandering glance, he was very
near to loving her. Indeed, he was like a husband who has left out that
period of passionate love which extends into married life until it gives
place to boredom, or to dislike, or to some such sympathetic affection as