The Spectator., 1915-03-19

mine own people, understand Elsa | Chetwood."
 So her name was Elsa? He re- peated it over and over in his mind.
 She continued her exposition. There are but few. gently born. They are generous and broadminded. They could not be mine own people otherwise. They are all I care about, shun mediocrity as I would the plague. I refuse to permit it to touch me, either with words or with deeds. The good opinion of those love is dear to me; as for the rest of the world!" She snapped her fingers to illustrate how little she cared.
 T am man under a cloud, to be avoided"
 Perhaps that cloud has a silver lining" with gentle smile. q do not believe you did anything wrong, pre- meditatedly All of us, one time or another, surrender to wild impulse. Perhaps in the future there awaits for me such a moment. cannot recollect the name of Warrington in cause celebre,' thoughtfully.
 He could only gaze at her dumbly. My name is not Warrington" finding his voice. God in heaven, what would happen when she found out what his name was? But my first name is Paul"
 Paul. l have had my suspicious that your name was not Warrington But tell me nothing more. What good would it do? did not read that man. s letter. I merely noted your name and his. You doubtless knew him some where in the past"
 Might there not be danger in your kindness to me?"
 In what way?"
 "A man under a cloud is often reck- less and desperate. There is always an invisible demon calling out to him: Whats the use of being good? You are the first woman of your station who has treated me as human be- ing; l do not say as an equal. It's a heady wine for an abstemious man. Don't you realize that you are beau tiful woman?'
 She looked up into his eyes quickly, but she saw nothing there indicating flattery. only a somber gravity.
 q should be silly to deny it. know that had l been a trump, the colonel would not have snubbed me. wonder why it is that in life beauty in woman is always looked upon with suspicion?"
 Envy provokes that"
 She resumed her inclination against the rail again. After Singapore it is probable that we shall not meet again. I admit, in my world. could not walk upon this free and easy ground should have to ask about your ante cedents, what you have done, all about you. in fact. Then, we should sit in judgment"
 And condemn me, off-hand. That would be perfectly right"
 But I might be one of the dissent ing judges"
 That is because you are one wom. an in a thousand"
 No; simply have mind of my own. and often prefer to be guided by it. l am not sheep"
 Silence. The lap-lap of the water, the long slow rise and fall, and the dartling flying fish apparently claimed their attention.
 But Warrington saw nothing save the dahger, the danger to himself and to her. At any moment he might fling his arms around her. without his hay ing the power to resist. She called to him as nothing in the world had called before. But she trusted him, and be- cause of this he resolutely throttled the recurring desires. She was right as woman's intinct. She had read him with a degree of accuracy. In the eyes of God he was a good man. a de. pendable man; but he was not impos sibly good He was human enough to want her. human enough to appreciate the danger in which she stood of him.
 Tell me about the man who looks like me-" His gaze roved out to sea- to the white islands of vapor low-lying in the east "In what respect does he resemble mel"
 His hair is yellow, his eyes are blue, and he smiles the same way you do"
 He felt the lump rise and swell in his throat.
 If you stood before mirror you would see him. But there the re. semblance ends"
 'Is he man who does things?" a note of strained curiosity in his tones Ten years!
 Tn what way do you mean?"
 Does he work in the world. does he invent. build. finance?"
 Mayhap her eyes deceived her. bu, the tan on his face seemed less brown than yellow.
 | "No. Mir Ellison ia a collector of