“You don’t know what you’re doing,” he grumbled; but he kept on looking at her; she stood there, attractive as a woman of her age could be, wise, considerate, full of friendship and affection. “Letty,” he said. “You ought not to want to marry me. I’m not worth it. Really I’m not. I’m too cynical. Too indifferent. It won’t be worth anything in the long run.” “It will be worth something to me,” she insisted. “I know what you are. Anyhow, I don’t care. I want you!” He took her hands, then her arms. Finally he drew her to him, and put his arms about her waist. “Poor Letty!” he said; “I’m not worth it. You’ll be sorry.” “No, I’ll not,” she replied. “I know what I’m doing. I don’t care what you think you are worth.” She laid her cheek on his shoulder. “I want you.” “If you keep on I venture to say you’ll have me,” he returned. He bent and kissed her. “Oh,” she exclaimed, and hid her hot face against his breast. “This is bad business,” he thought, even as he held her within the circle of his arms. “It isn’t what I ought to be doing.” Still he held her, and now when she offered her lips coaxingly he kissed her again and again. CHAPTER LVI It is difficult to say whether Lester might not have returned to Jennie after all but for certain influential factors. After a time, with his control of his portion of the estate firmly settled in his hands and the storm of original feeling forgotten, he was well aware that diplomacy—if he ignored his natural tendency to fulfil even implied obligations—could readily bring about an arrangement whereby he and Jennie could be together. But he was haunted by the sense of what might be called an important social opportunity in the form of Mrs. Gerald. He was compelled to set over against his natural tendency toward Jennie a consciousness of what he was ignoring in the personality and fortunes of her rival, who was one of the most significant and interesting figures on the social horizon. For think as he would, these two women were now persistently opposed in his consciousness. The one polished, sympathetic, philosophic—schooled in all the niceties of polite society, and with the means to gratify her every wish; the other natural, sympathetic, emotional, with no schooling in the ways of polite society, but with a feeling for the beauty of life and the lovely things in human relationship which made her beyond any question an exceptional woman. Mrs. Gerald saw it and admitted it. Her criticism of Lester’s relationship with Jennie was not that she was not worth while, but that conditions made it impolitic. On the other hand, union with her was an ideal climax for his social aspirations. This would bring everything out right. He would be as happy with her as he would be with Jennie—almost—and he would have the satisfaction of knowing that this Western social and financial world held no more significant figure than himself. It was not wise to delay either this latter