Part 3 (1/2)

She sirl to love until she is loved, is it?” Her expression gave Grant a faint suggestion of a chill of apprehension lest she should be about to take advantage of their friendshi+p bya dead set for hi: ”No, my reason was that I didn't want to spoil my one friendshi+p Even a business person craves the luxury of a friend--and ht curl of her pretty, soave you up as a possibility years ago I saasn't your style Your tastes in woht flushed ”I do like 'em a bit noisy and silly,” he admitted

”That sort is so--so GEMUTHLICH, as the Germans say”

”Who's the man you delivered over to old Patsy Raymond? I see he's still fast to her”

”Handso--the Honorable Joshua Craig--assistant TO the Attorney-General He's fro But you'd not like him”

”He looks quite--tao,”

said Rita, her voice as indolent as her slowly-le feathers

”Oh, you've met him?”

”No--only saw him When I went West with the Burkes, Gus and the husband took atherings where some blatant politician bellows out a lot of lies, and a crowd of badly-dressed people listen and s and yelp Your friend was one of the speakers What he said sounded--” Rita paused for a word

”Sounded true,” suggested Grant

”Not at all nobody really cares anything about the people, not even themselves No, it sounded as if he had at least half-convinced hiht We rather liked him--at the safe distance of half the hall He's the kind of er if the bars break”

”Hoomen do like that in a h He's a fraud, of course, like all politicians But beneath the fraud there's aand sure of himself--which is what can't be said of many of us ear trousers and pose as lords of creation”

The girl see the dancers, Arkwright continued to gaze at his friend, to admire the impressive, if obviously posed, effect of his handsome head and shoulders He smiled with a tender expression, as one smiles at the weakness of those one loves Suddenly he said: ”By Jove, Rita--just the thing!”

”What?” asked the girl, resule fan

”Marry hi He'll not make much money out of politics

I doubt if even a woman could corrupt him that far But you could take him out of politics and put hiood lawyers sell the”

”This sounds interesting”

”It's a wonder I hadn't thought of it before”

The girl gave a curious, quiet sht

”A woibles,” explained she ”As Lucy Burke told ton, I put hiht--well doard the bottoht”

Arkwright was staring at her Her perfect frankness, absolute naturalness with hi for the bitter judgment on her character which he had secretly forht he, ”she's quite the nicest girl I know, and the cleverest If she had hid herself from me, as the rest do, I'd never for one instant have suspected her of having so ood sense--for that's all it a in any circuly candid ”We're such shallow fakers,” reflected he, ”that if any one confesses to us things not a tenth part as bad as e privately think and do, e set hi atrocity in pants or petticoats”

Margaret was of the women who seem never to think of what they are really absorbed in, and never to look at what they are really scrutinizing She disconcerted hi his reflections with: ”Your private opinion of me is of small consequence toable to say rew dizzy at her own audacity in the frankness that fools--”Also, if I wished to get you, Grant, or any h to fancy my character or lack of it would affect hi have a hts,” said Arkwright ”No did you guess I was thinking s about you?”