"There, I won't say it--only you admit that so far I've known you better than you've known yourself.-- Yes?-- Well, do not forget what I once told you before. You can never love a woman whom you cannot respect, and no woman who respects herself would permit even a hint of a man's affections until she was free to receive them. Any such premature attempt would be fatal to his suit." "Thank you," said Stanley, "I won't forget;" and then, with a touch of his old humour, which the responsibilities of the last few days had nearly crushed out, he added: "You're not going to try to save me again?" "No, thank you, one experience of that sort has been quite enough," replied Kent-Lauriston, laughing. "Now about this present matter," continued the Secretary. "I don't want you to think me callous or shallow, because I don't appear all broken up; it has hit me very hard. I admit I was a fool, that I took for real passion a sort of sentimentalism born of pity; but, nevertheless, I was honest in my self-deception, and I assure you, even though you may laugh at me, that could I restore her to the innocent girl I believed her to be a few days ago; could I even be assured that she'd join this conspiracy to help a friend, and not as a cold-blooded speculation; I'd gladly marry her with all her faults, and give up my life to leading her into better paths." "I do not laugh at you, my boy," said Kent-Lauriston. "I respect you for it, I believe you, too; but, as I said in our first interview on this subject, you're too good for her; and she has underrated what she is not fitted to understand." "There, go now," said the Secretary. "If I talk of this any more, I shall be unnerved, and I've need of all my self-control to-day. Go and do the best you can. Be gentle and tender for my sake. I suppose I ought to face the matter myself, but I can't bear to. I simply can't look her in the face--now I know----" and he bent his head, choking back a sob. His friend pressed his hand silently, and left the room. * * * * * "Just one moment, if you please, Colonel Darcy," Kent-Lauriston had said, overtaking that officer as he was crossing the park, about an hour after his interview with Stanley. "I can't stop just now, I'm in a hurry." "Oh, yes, you can--you can spare me a minute--a minute for an old acquaintance, who knew you when you were only a Lieutenant, like our friend Kingsland; a Lieutenant in Derbyshire, who had aspirations for the hand of Lord ----'s daughter." "Which you frustrated, damn you! I haven't forgotten." "Or the evidence which led to such an unfortunate result? Affairs of that sort are not outlawed by the lapse of years; you understand?" "What do you want of me? Speak! My time is of value." "Yes, I know--about forty thousand pounds." "Humph! Go on, will you. I'll tell you what you want, only be quick about it."