I shall want to poison them." "Miserable boy!" cried Rowland.

"They are the loveliest of women!" "Very likely! But they mean no more to me than a Bible text to an atheist!" "I utterly fail," said Rowland, in a moment, "to understand your relation to Miss Garland." Roderick shrugged his shoulders and let his hands drop at his sides.
"She adores me! That 's my relation." And he smiled strangely.
"Have you broken your engagement ?" "Broken it?
You can't break a ray of moonshine." "Have you absolutely no affection for her ?" Roderick placed his hand on his heart and held it there a moment.
"Dead--dead--dead!" he said at last.
"I wonder," Rowland asked presently, "if you begin to comprehend the beauty of Miss Garland's character.

She is a person of the highest merit." "Evidently--or I would not have cared for her!" "Has that no charm for you now ?" "Oh, don't force a fellow to say rude things!" "Well, I can only say that you don't know what you are giving up." Roderick gave a quickened glance.

"Do you know, so well ?" "I admire her immeasurably." Roderick smiled, we may almost say sympathetically.

"You have not wasted time." Rowland's thoughts were crowding upon him fast.