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Never again would he rise to the height of greatness to which his love for Hilda Ryder had raised hiht in future bestow upon a woman, the spark of immortality, of selflessness, which had undoubtedly inspired his first and truest love, would never again be kindled in his heart

Yet in his way Bruce was attracted to Iris Wayne On their last irl, a pretty creature, certainly, but not to be coracious Hilda, to whoain, he was bound to confess that Iris onderfully attractive; and in a strangely short period of tirees, to look upon her as a possible successor to the woman he had lost

The fact that Anstice too found her desirable was sti One of Cheniston's newly-acquired characteristics was a tendency to covet any object on which another had set his heart; and although in h, in this instance it seemed likely to prove fatal to Anstice's happiness

Which of the two ician to understand

With Bruce she was always her gayest self, plying hiypt; and she was quite evidently flattered by the pains he took to charm and interest her with his picturesque narratives of experiences in the land of the Nile He was, moreover, at her service at all ti, or to play tennis or golf with her; and although Iris was as free fro to her youthful self-esteem to find a man like Cheniston over ready at her beck and call

With Anstice she was quieter, shyer, more serious; yet Sir Richard, atched the trio, as it were from afar, had a suspicion sometienuine person than the gay and frivolous girl who laughed through the sunny hours with the younger man

So the days passed on; and if Anstice was oncein a fools' Paradise, this time the key which unlocked the Gate of Dreaold

In the hteenth anniversary of her birth; and rather to Anstice's dise and festiveless, in fact, than a dinner-party, followed by a dance to be held in the rarely-used ballrooates had been once famous