taste, he had reading, he had a pretty knowledge of the world from
travel, he had observed manners, and it seemed to him that he might not
immodestly pretend to supply, as far as one man went, a well-recognized
want.

Hitherto he had been able to live up to his ideal with, sufficient
satisfaction, and in proposing to himself never to marry, but to grow old
gradually and gracefully as a bachelor of adequate income, he saw no
difficulties in his way for the future, until this affair of the
apparition. If now he incurred the chances of an open change in his way
of living--the end was simply a question of very little time. He must not
only declass, he must depatriate himself, for he would not have the means
of living even much more economically than he now lived in New York, if
he did what a sense of honor, of just responsibility urged him to do with
regard to St. John.

He would have been glad of any interposition of Providence that would
have availed him against his obvious duty. He would have liked to recall
the words saying that there was only one thing for him to do, but he
could not recall them and he was forced to go on. "Will you sell me your
place?" he said to St. John, colorlessly.

"Sell you my place? What do you mean?"

"Simply that if you will, I shall be glad to buy it at your own
valuation."

"Oh, look here, now, Hewson! I can't let you do this," St. John began,
trying to feel a magnanimity which proved impossible to him. "What do you
want with my place? You couldn't get anybody to live there with you."