"People talk foolishly of a 'declining birth-rate,'" he went on; "yet if, according to the modern scientist, all civilisations are only so much output of wasted human energy, doomed to pass into utter oblivion, and human beings only live but to die and there an end, of what avail is it to be born at all? Surely it is but wanton cruelty to take upon ourselves the responsibility of continuing a race whose only consummation is rottenness in unremembered graves!" At that moment the door opened and Lucy Sorrel entered softly, with a pretty air of hesitating timidity which became her style of beauty excellently well. As he looked up and saw her standing half shyly on the threshold, a white, light, radiant figure expressing exquisitely fresh youth, grace and--innocence?--yes! surely that wondrous charm which hung about her like a delicate atmosphere redolent with the perfume of spring, could only be the mystic exhalation of a pure mind adding spiritual lustre to the material attraction of a perfect body,--his heart misgave him. Already he was full of remorse lest so much as a passing thought in his brain might have done her unmerited wrong. He advanced to meet her, and his voice was full of kindness as he said:-- "Is your dance quite over, Lucy? Are you sure I am not selfishly depriving you of pleasure by asking you to come away from all your young friends just to talk to me for a few minutes in this dull room?" She raised her beautiful eyes confidingly. "Dear Mr. Helmsley, there can be no greater pleasure for me than to talk to you!" she answered sweetly. His expression changed and hardened. "That's not true," he thought; "and _she_ knows it, and _I_ know it." Aloud he said: "Very prettily spoken, Lucy! But I am aware of my own tediousness and I won't detain you long. Will you sit down?" and he offered her an easy-chair, into which she sank with the soft slow grace of a nestling bird. "I only want to say just a few words,--such as your father might say to you if he were so inclined--about your future." She gave him a swift glance of keen inquiry. "My future?" she echoed. "Yes. Have you thought of it at all yourself?" She heaved a little sigh, smiled, and shook her head in the negative. "I'm afraid I'm very silly," she confessed plaintively. "I never think!" He drew up another armchair and sat down opposite to her. "Well, try to do so now for five minutes at least," he said, gently. "I am going away to-morrow or next day for a considerable time----" A quick flush flew over her face. "Going away!" she exclaimed. "But--not far?"