anyway; although, of course," she added, with a twinkle in her eye, "I
think it is wicked to marry without it."

There shot through Rangely's mind the reflection that Thayer Kent had
not an over-abundance of this world's goods; and to this followed the
less pleasant thought that he was himself in the same predicament.

"But Jack Gerrish hasn't anything," he said, aloud.

"But Janet has enough, so she can marry anybody she wants to," was the
reply; "and Jack Gerrish is too perfectly lovely for anything."

The visitor laughed, but he was evidently not at his ease. He was
always uncomfortably conscious that Ethel had not the slightest
possible scruple against laughing at him, and he was not a little
afraid of her well-known propensity to tease. Ethel regarded him with
secret amusement. A woman is seldom displeased at seeing a man
disconcerted by her presence, even when she pities him and would fain
put him at his ease. It is a tribute to her powers too genuine to be
disputed, and while she may labor to overcome the man's feeling, her
vanity cannot but be gratified that he has it.

"Did you ever know anything like the way Elsie Dimmont is going on with
Dr. Wilson?" Ethel said, presently, by way of continuing the
conversation. "I can't see what she finds to like in him. He's as
coarse as Fred Gore, only, of course, he's cleverer, and he isn't
dissipated."

"Wilson isn't a half bad fellow," Rangely replied, rather
patronizingly. "Though, of course, I can understand that you wouldn't