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‘‘Ohto be sure；'' said Jane； with smiling insincerity。 ‘‘I had almost forgotten what you told me。 Well； it's easy enough to bribe her to silence。 Go offer yourself to her。''
A long silence； then Davy said： ‘‘I don't believe she'd accept me。''
‘‘Try it；'' said Jane。
Again a long pause。 David said sullenly： ‘‘I did。''
Selma Gordon had refused David Hull！ Half a dozen explanations of this astounding occurrence rapidly suggested themselves。 Jane rejected each in turn at a glance。 ‘‘You're sure she understood you？''
‘‘I made myself as clear as I did when I proposed to you；'' replied Davy with a lack of tact which a woman of Jane's kind would never forget or forgive。
Jane winced； ignored。 Said she： ‘‘You must have insisted on some conditions she hesitated to accept。''
‘‘On her own terms；'' said Davy。
Jane gave up trying to get the real reason from him； sought it in Selma's own words and actions。 She inquired： ‘‘What did she say？ What reason did she give？''
‘‘That she owed it to the cause of her class not to marry a man of my class；'' answered Hull； believing that he was giving the exact and the only reason she assigned or had。
Jane gave a faint smile of disdain。 ‘‘Women don't act from a sense of duty；'' she said。
‘‘She's not the ordinary woman；'' said Hull。 ‘‘You must remember she wasn't brought up as you and I werehasn't our ideas of life。 The things that appeal to us most strongly don't touch her。 She knows nothing about them。'' He added； ‘‘And that's her great charm for me。''
Jane nodded sympathetically。 Her own case exactly。 After a brief hesitation she suggested：
‘‘Perhaps Selma's in love withsome one else。'' The pause before the vague ‘‘some one else'' was almost unnoticeable。
‘‘With Victor Dorn； you mean？'' said Davy。 ‘‘I asked her about that。 No； she's not in love with him。''
‘‘As if she'd tell you！''
Davy looked at her a little scornfully。 ‘‘Don't insinuate；'' he said。 ‘‘You know she would。 There's nothing of the ordinary tricky； evasive； faking woman about her。 And although she's got plenty of excuse for being conceited； she isn't a bit so。 She isn't always thinking about herself； like the girls of our class。''
‘‘I don't in the least wonder at your being in love with her； Davy；'' said Jane sweetly。 ‘‘Didn't I tell you I admired your tasteand your courage？''
‘‘You're sneering at me；'' said Davy。 ‘‘All the same； it did take couragefor I'm a snob at bottomlike youlike all of us who've been brought up so foolishly so rottenly。 But I'm proud that I had the courage。 I've had a better opinion of myself ever since。 And if you have any unspoiled womanhood in you； you agree with me。''
‘‘I do agree with you；'' said Jane softly。 She reached out and laid her hand on his arm for an instant。 ‘‘That's honest； Davy。''
He gave her a grateful look。 ‘‘I know it；'' said he。 ‘‘The reason I confide things to you is because I know you're a real woman at bottom； Janethe only real person I've ever happened across in our class。''
‘‘It took more courage for you to do that sort of thing than it would for a woman；'' said Jane。 ‘‘It's more natural； easier for a woman to stake everything in love。 If she hasn't the man she wants she hasn't anything； while a man's wife can be a mere detail in his life。 He can forget he's married； most of the time。''
‘‘That isn't the way I intend to be married；'' said Davy。 ‘‘I want a wife who'll be half； full half； of the whole。 And I'll get her。''
‘‘You mean you haven't given up？''
‘‘Why should I？ She doesn't love another man。 So； there's hope。
Don't you think so？''
Jane was silent。 She hastily debated whether it would be wiser to say yes or to say no。
‘‘Don't you think so？'' repeated he。
‘‘How can I tell？'' replied Jane； diplomatically。 ‘‘I'd have to see her with yousee how she feels toward you。''
‘‘I think she likes me；'' said Davy； ‘‘likes me a good deal。''
Jane kept her smile from the surface。 What a man always thought； no matter how plainly a woman showed that she detested him。 ‘‘No doubt she does；'' said Jane。 She had decided upon a course of action。 ‘‘If I were you； Davy； I'd keep away from her for the present give her time to think it over； to see all the advantages。 If a man forces himself on a queer； wild sort of girl such as Selma is； he's likely to drive her further away。''
Davy reflected。 ‘‘Guess you're right；'' said he finally。 ‘‘My instinct is always to actto keep on acting until I get results。
But it's dangerous to do that with Selma。 At least； I think so。 I don't know。 I don't understand her。 I've got nothing to offer hernothing that she wantsas she frankly told me。 Even if she loved me； I doubt if she'd marry meon account of her sense of duty。 What you said awhile ago about women never doing things from a sense of duty that shows how hard it is for a woman to understand what's perfectly simple to a man。 Selma isn't the sheltered woman sortthe sort whose moral obligations are all looked after by the men of her family。 The old…fashioned woman always belonged to some man or else was an outcast。 This new style of woman looks at life as a man does。''
Jane listened with a somewhat cynical expression。 No doubt； in theory； there was a new style of woman。 But practically； the new style of woman merely TALKED differently； at least； she was still the old…fashioned woman； longing for dependence upon some man and indifferent to the obligations men made such a fuss aboutprobably not so sincerely as they fancied。 But her expression changed when Davy went on to say：
‘‘She'd look at a thing of that sort much as I or Victor Dorn would。''
Jane's heart suddenly sank。 Because the unconscious blow had hurt she struck out； struck back with the first weapon she could lay hold of。 ‘‘But you said a minute ago that Victor was a hypocritical demagogue。''
Davy flushed with confusion。 He was in a franker mood now； however。 ‘‘I'd like to think that；'' he replied。 ‘‘But I don't honestly believe it。''
‘‘You think that if Victor Dorn loved a woman of our class he'd put her out of his life？''
‘‘That's hardly worth discussing；'' said Davy。 ‘‘No woman of our classno woman he'd be likely to look atwould encourage him to the point where he'd presume upon it。''
‘‘How narrow you are！'' cried Jane； derisive but even more angry。
‘‘It's differententirely differentwith a man； even in our class。 But a woman of our classshe's a lady or she's nothing at all。 And a lady couldn't be so lacking in refinement as to descend to a man socially beneath her。''
‘‘I can see how ANY woman might fall in love with Victor Dorn。''
‘‘You're just saying that to be argumentative；'' said Davy with conviction。 ‘‘Take yourself； for example。''
‘‘I confess I don't see any such contrast between Victor and youexcept where the comparison's altogether in his favor；'' said Jane pleasantly。 ‘‘You don't know as much as he does。 You haven't the independence of characteror the courageor the sincerity。 You couldn't be a real leader； as he is。 You have to depend on influence； and on trickery。''
A covert glance at the tall； solemn…looking young man riding silently beside her convinced her that he was as uncomfortable as she had hoped to make him。
‘‘As for mannersand the things that go to make a gentleman；'' she went on； ‘‘I'm not sure but that there； too； the comparison is against you。 You always suggest to me that if you hadn't the pattern set for men of our class and didn't follow it； you'd be absolutely lost； Davy； dear。 While Victorhe's a fine； natural person； with the manners that grow as naturally out of his personality as oak leaves grow out of an oak。''
Jane was astonished and delighted by this eloquence of hers about the man she lovedan eloquence far above her usual rather commonplace mode of speech and thought。 Love was indeed an inspirer！ What a person she would become when she had Victor always stimulating her。 She went on：
‘‘A woman would never grow tired of Victor。 He doesn't talk stale stuff such as all of us get from the stale little professors and stale； dreary text…books at our colleges。''
‘‘Why don't you fall in love with him？'' said Davy sourly。
‘