his constituency. It's a very pretty little bribe, you see; when you add
the--the girl, it's enough to shake a man--who wants that girl. I'm not
worth much to myself, or to anybody else, apparently, but by Heaven I'll
not sell out as cheap as that!

"It all amounts to nothing except one more illusion gone. If there is a
woman on this earth that can love a man without knowing for what, and take
the chances of life with him without counting the cost, I have never known
her. I asked you once if a woman could do that. You hadn't the courage
to tell me the truth. I wouldn't have been satisfied if you had; but I'm
satisfied now."

"I believed she would be happy; I believe she would be, now, if only you
would go to her and persuade her to try."

"I persuade her! I would never try to persuade a woman to be my wife were I
dying for love of her! I don't think myself invented by nature to promote
the happiness of woman, in the aggregate or singly. I know there are men
who do: let them urge their claims. I thought that she loved me; that was
another illusion. She will probably marry the cousin, and become the most
loyal of his constituents. He is welcome to her; but there's a ghostly
blank somewhere. How I have tired you! You'll be in bed another week for
this selfishness of mine." He stopped, while a sudden thought brought a
change to his face. "But when are you going home?"

"I cannot go," she said. Her weakness came over her like a cloud, darkening
the room and pressing upon her heavily. "Will you give me your arm?"

At the stairs she stopped, and leaning against the wall looked at him with
wide, hopeless eyes.