hat repelled them as well as fascinated them. They were not bad young men. Not that they had high ideals, or were filled with lofty enthusiasms. But they had be

Leicester's spirit possessed them; the man's cool and confident cynicism attracted them. The very daring of the proposal broke down their conventional ideas. Besides, in spite of Leicester's confidence, they did not believe that his opinions were true. Especially wa

ce if she should suffer something of the humiliation which they had felt. Such a feeling is natural to weak men. The sting of disappointment made them eager to fasten on

ung lady by sight, but I have heard of her religious proclivities. Why, she might convert me. She might snatch the brand from the burning. She is such a pattern young woman, so high-principled, so good. Besides, I am told that she belongs to the Nonconforming order of pious people. She is a Wesleyan,

yet no doubt he was influenced by

of proving that the woman who refused you woul

t," said

, too, S

would not give you

ve a hundred pounds to-what shall we say-Guy's Hospital? Wh

nted with what those who know you think about you, she would soon b

; then y

, if yo

I have not felt so interested in life for a long time. You are really benefactors. But come, now, we must go into this

ell and the w

ies, waiter

ke this," s

? I'll complain t

e business. I

see myself going to that Nonconformist church with a hymn-book and Bible under my arm. I even see myself a

emarked Winfield quietly, who had

no favour. All I demand is that you chaps shall hold your tongues. Thi

ng but just,"

astlemaine is very particular as to whom he has at his house, and a

w I come to think about it, I

undred pounds if I su

out from that,"

know it'll end in nothing. Miss Castlemaine is one of the clever

to have

interfere with you. T

isper of this conversatio

s but fair," urge

not believe in the business. It's wrong, it's not-well, it's not

as a strange light in his eyes. "And y

I don't like it. But Leicester'll give up the whole idea to-morro

astlemaine attends. I'm as serious as a judge. No, no, I stand on principle-principle, my

oduction?" asked Sprague. Evide

ons and orthodoxy, pride and prejudice, thunders temporal and spiritual, but I fear them not. I-I, a poor solitary cynic, am stronger than you all, because I stand on the truth, and you sta

s of whisky to his lip

to bed," sa

" said

nterprises, I must make my plans. As a champion of truth I must vindicate it. I live

ce was still clear, his hand still steady. An unhealthy flush had come

m the others were commonplace. Neither was his face a bad face. It suggested lack of faith and lack of hope, but it did not suggest evil. Moreover, the well-shaped head, the broad forehead, the finely formed feat

lever man, but a man whom life had embittered. He had been embittered by the death of his wife; he had been embittered because he had never obtained the success he had coveted. He saw men who did not possess half the brains or half the scholarship which he possessed, leap into fame, while he remained obs

He professed an utter contempt for life. He regarded men and women as so many worthless things spawned upon the shores of time, to be presently swept away into nothingness. He had little or no faith in the nobility of human nature. Men were mostly sordid, selfish, and base. Trace men's motives to their source, and they were in the main selfish. Women were, if possible, worse than men. When he was about twenty-four he altered his opinion for a

the Bar, and had also entered Parliament, where he was spoken of as a man with a great future, also proposed to her. Without hesitation this girl, Blanche Bridgetown by name, cast Leicester

from the blow which was struck at his faith. All his old cynicism and hopelessness reasserted themsel

ich he had inherited grew stronger. Drink made him forget his wounded pride; and, confident in his boast th

wanted to carve out for himself a place of position and power. His party had found a constituency for him, and he had contested it

trength now seemed to have obtained a complete mastery over him. Thus Radford Leicester, who ha

a hundred ways. Moreover, the vice which had mastered him had not degraded him in the eyes of men. Only a very few knew that he was a hard drinker. He always dressed well, spoke clearly, and walked stead

as liked. While repudiating accepted morality in theory, he was in many respects most punctilious about points of honour. When he gave his word he never broke it. In his political sp

great gathering, and when, as the accepted candidate, he had also to address the meeting, the great man had been simply carried away by his speech. As he

art he was proud of it. Indeed, as I have said before, ambi

ays; nevertheless, it is necessary to tell it again, in order to understa

by those who were of Leicester's way of thinking. As I have said, it was not a large club; nevertheless, it provided a limited number of beds.

rough, Leicester?" said Winfi

onsense out of those pr

s a dear pr

fellows so e

en are mostly fo

f marriage. It was only a question of

ur can win a woman's promise to

it. Besides, wo

? Why do yo

t as though this Miss Castlemaine had

y cool about

husband of a beautiful heiress, a sort of glorified Quakeress, rich, pious, and

not try and carry

hy

you don't

ve a signifi

aid: "does t

suppos

ch still exist among a certain numb

ders significantly, a

king about?" asked

ied Leicester mockingly. "Do you think my

e and held o

t Leiceste

going t

s past on

ou've no wife to re

gulate them. A journalist

f an hour

s the

to go to bed and lie awake. Beside

your nerves are steel, and tha

ver drunk in my life; that is, I was never in a condition when I couldn't walk straight, and when I couldn't express my thoughts clearl

hy

nothing. And yet, I tell you, I have a bad time whe

give i

out it. Without whisky my mind's a blank, my brains won't act. With it-that

ha

all. Good-night. When I come to remem

hy

e my plans for conquest

You don't

-night, old man

ield had left the room. Once he put his hand upon the be

"I have had too muc

room, and the waiter, who had hovered

said Leicester, as th

night,

gone to bed

every on

arrange for my bath in the mor

r. Hot o

he passage. He was about to say

s," he said.

turned on the lights he looked

ty, and I'm ordering a hot bath at half

he room aimlessly, b

hose puppies. What's the odds? Blanche Bridgewater or Olive Castlemaine? Women

a chair beside the b

resently, "that