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"He is the sweetest felloith his hed Grace; "and that counts heavily with me But there's trouble ahead for her--sorrow and trouble enough for theain!" said Sylvia ih to win out? I'll bet you he settles down, irls do you suppose have believed that--were justified in believing heby his attractiveyou how much he liked you? He had a desperate affair with Mrs Mortih I fancy He's had a dozen within three years; and in a week Rena Bonnesdel has coives hie, the girl had been on the edge of loving hi; she is in love with him now as much as she ever can be with anybody"

"You mean--"

"Yes I do Hadn't you suspected it?"

And as Sylvia had suspected it she remained silent

"If any woman in this world could keep him to the mark, she could," continued Mrs Ferrall "He's a perfect fool not to see how she cares for him"

Sylvia said: "He is indeed"

"It would be a sensible match, if she cared to risk it, and if he would only ask her But he won't"

"Perhaps," ventured Sylvia, "she'll ask him She strikes me as that sort I do not aretteful--"

Mrs Ferrall looked up at her

"Did he propose to you?"

"Yes--I think so"

"Then it's the first ti to play with him as a rule, and he doesn't have to be definite I wonder what heso definite with you?"

"I suppose he htest ring in her voice; and it amused Mrs Ferrall to try her a little further

"Oh, you think he really intended to co red "Do you think he found , as you say he finds others?"

"You were probably a new sensation for hily "You mustn't take him seriously, child--a man with his record Besides, he has the sa else he tries; his pen--you kno infernally clever he is; and he can les, and he can carry home with him any opera and play it decently, too, with the proper hars, horses, pen, brush, music, women"--that was too malicious, for Sylvia had flushed up painfully, and Grace Ferrall dropped her gloved hand on the hand of the girl beside her: "Child, child," she said, "he is not that sort; no decent irl is too"