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In the silence which followed his last words a big brown ht, blundered into the rooan to flutter nant hush the beating of his foolish wings sounded loudly, insistently

Then Anstice spoke very quietly

"You mean I am to stand aside and let you have a fair field with the lady?" He could not bring himself to mention her name

"Yes That's just what I do mean" Cheniston spoke defiantly--or so it seeain the only sound to be heard was the soft flutter of the broings as the moth circled vainly round the candle flame which would inevitably prove fatal to him by and by

"I see" Anstice's face was very pale now "At least you do ht of a possible rival"

"I do--and I'll go further," said Cheniston suddenly "I have an uncomfortable notion that if you tried you could cut retted the admission as soon as it was made--"after all, Miss Wayne and I are excellent friends, and upon my soul I soard for you, I know, and if you really set out to win her----"

"I'm afraid you overrate my capabilities," said Anstice rather cynically "Miss Wayne has certainly never given htest reason to suppose she would be ready to listen to me, did I overstep the bounds of friendship"

"Of course not!" Cheniston sive any ain his voice cut like steel--"don't you think I have the prior right to the first innings, so to speak?"

"You mean I am to stand aside, efface myself, and let you chip in before me?" His colloquial speech accorded badly with his formal tone "I quite see your point of view; and no doubt you think yourself justified in your demand; but still----"

"I do think I'm justified, yes," broke in Cheniston coolly "After all, if one man has a precious stone, a diaes to lose it, well in the unlikely event of the two of theht to the new one?"