"Excellent advice," said Jud. "Have you seen Celeste since Sunday? I saw you together at St. James'." Sherrod had already dropped four lumps into his coffee and was now adding another. "I saw her last night. Why?" "'Gad, you're pretty regular, aren't you?" said Converse, bitter in spite of himself. "It strikes me you are talking rather queerly." "I presume I am. You'll forgive me, though, when I remind you that I care a great deal for her. It rather hurts to have her forget me entirely," said the poor fellow. "Come, come, old man, you're losing your nerve," cried Jud, his eye brightening. "I'm sure you can win if you'll only have heart." "Win! You know better than that. If you don't know it, I'll tell you something. She's desperately in love with another man at this very minute." "What?" ejaculated Jud. "Miss Wood in love with--with--another man? Why--why--I've not seen her pay any especial attention to any one." "You must be blind, then. There's only one man in the world she cares to see any more, or cares to have near her." "Good heavens, no! I never suspected--by George, Doug, surely you're dreaming!" He could not understand a certain jealousy that came to him. "Can't you see that she's in love with you--you?" cried the boy. The two looked at each other intently for a moment, despair in the eyes of one, incredulous joy in those of the other. Sherrod could feel the blood rushing swifter and swifter to his heart, to his throat, to his face, to his eyes. Something red and hot floated across his vision, turning the whole world a ruddy hue; something strong and light seemed striving to lift his whole being in the air. "Well, why don't you say you don't believe it?" said a voice in front of him. "I--I can't say a word. You paralyze me. My heavens, Converse, I never dreamed of such a thing and I know you're mistaken. Why, it cannot be--it shouldn't be," he almost gasped. "Bah! What's the use? Women don't ask permission to fall in love, do they? They just fall, that's all. I'm not saying it is absolutely true, but I'm making a pretty fine guess. She is more interested in you than in any man she has ever known. I know that much." "Interested, perhaps, yes, but that is not love. Hang it, Douglass, she cares for you." "No, she doesn't, Jud; no, she doesn't. No such luck, I don't appeal to her at all and I never can. I step down and out; you've a clear field so far as I am concerned. If I can't have her, I'd rather see her go to you than to any one in the world. You're good and honest and a man." "Impossible! Impossible! It can't be that. You don't understand the real situation----" floundered Jud. "I understand it as well as you do, my boy,--better, I think. I know Celeste Wood and that's all there is to it. You've won something that a hundred men have fought for and lost. You're a lucky dog."