The Fighting Chance

osing north and south among cedars and outcropping ledges-the whole silver-grey mass of masonry reddening unde

rrier to inland winds; the foreland, set here and there with tiny lawns and pockets of bright flowers,

ney place, the embers of a drift-wood fire glimmered like a heap of dusty jewels. Bars of sunlight slanted on wall and rug, on stone floor and carved staircase, on the bronze f

of the fire-place; "the season opens to-day in this county, you see." She shrugged her p

, casually: "If you haven't an appointment with the Sa

this dog?"-looking down at the Sagamore pup who stood before him,

m to your room if you like. D

and very ornamental maid preceded him through a corridor a

ive place to a melancholy and silent young man who turned on the bath, laid out

set it on the floor, and it seemed as though the dog would

ung man, gravely refilling his own glass as t

ry, and down the broad stairway to the gun-room-an oaken vaulted place illuminated by the sun, where mellow l

erself a cup of tea. She looked up, nodding invitation; he found a place beside her. A se

salt air, casually; the girl

m a silence which had become a brown study; and, to Siwar

r immediately," he said, st

: "I shouldn't exactly know what to do with y

hy even give yourself the trouble of

lem to me, Mr. Siward," she said, amused

s

There's a telegram; I'm

of fact, at the telegraphed request of Mr. Quarrier, she was going to Black Fells Crossing to meet his tra

peated Siwa

t. He was on his feet at once, so carelessly, so good-humour

cliffs-the kennels and stables; I

ng anything in particular. That was the troubl

he leisurely gloved herself, then walked through t

aced veranda to the driveway where a Tandem cart was drawn up, faultlessly appointe

it. In the golden splendour of declining day the white sails of yachts crowded landward on the last leg before beating westward into Blue Harbour; a small white c

eauty of sky and cliff. As they halted once more the enchantment seemed to spread; a delicate haze enveloped the sea; hints of rose colour tinted the waves; over the

dem; the grooms looked after them, sta

e said. "I will walk as far as the headlan

by the wind until she spread her skids as a barrie

aromatic smoke of his cigarette up into her face. "Don't move, Mr. Siward; I like it; th

spread across the shoals. But always to her question or comment she found in his response the charm of f

y thought she said it, for he made no response that time. And a few moments later they reached the headland, and the Atlant

Then she awoke, uneasy as always, under the shadow of res

her for the first time; that, and an utter detachment from h

ed, how shadowy it had grown, ef

ome conscious of her own personal exclusion

ame irksome to her she said so very frankly. His

the sea,

peated, too incredulo

rpetual, brutal, inanimate resistance-one endless uninterrupted fight-a ceaseless human manoeuvre against senseless menace; and then the counter attack of the lifeless monster, th

e to fight it!" sh

pe; but only by dying ashore before it gets them. That is the way s

is not a fight with the sea; it is

ay, the batt

there anybody ever born who h

ired out, unfairly, before l

at do yo

ular idol summarises as a 'square deal'." H

al ever laments because h

true, too," he ad

exactly what

should not harbour-a man with intellect enough to be aware of it, with decency enough to desire decency.... What chanc

wn; the wind came whipping and flicking at them from league-wide

that I have. And I fancy that this capacity always remains, no matter how moral one

ed capacity for good and evil, how abo

o? Do you suppose anybody

so afraid not to be, tha

in business proposit

urance?" he as

ow, Mr. Siw

he was first curious, then impatient at the ease with which he excluded her. She rememb

tened to become a talent for indecision, had always alternated in her with sudden impulsive conclusions;

illed, her beauty and sweet temper had carried her easily on the frothy crest of her first season, over the eligible and ineligib

h when she was ten years old. So, although the scandal of her mother's self-exile had been in a measure condoned by a tardy marriage to the

deal concerning the unconventional proclivities of the women of her race and family, enough to impre

portunity. And the opportunity came in the shape of Quarrier. As though wed

almost meaningless mourning, there had stolen into her sense of security something

al review of her ancestors' capricious records-perhaps a characteristic impulse th

on his way to get his answer, the best whip, the most eagerly

lengthening across the sun-shot moorland, the sound of Siward's

rous charm dominant once more-releasing her from the growing tension o

our long drive." She seated herself on the turf.

Then the question of cross-breeding came up, and he gave his opinion on the qualities of "droppers." To which she replied, sleepily; and the conversation veered again toward the myste

ng to flatten out. Did you ever notice how many times a dog turns around before lying down? And there goes the carefully schooled Sagamore, chasing rabbits! Why? Becaus

, that heredity is an ex

heriting nothing of evi

no ex

ith authorit

aware of," she murmure

urned to the distant house, her rounded yo

ination, are my besetting sins. Can't

ieves of Time; and we kil

sins," she rep

; he knelt to release it, she looking d

looking down over his shoulder and watching his efforts to release

saying: "What I meant to say was this: evils that spring from heredity are no excuse for misconduct in people of ou

t the piquant incongruit

it?" she asked

conscious, and a little conscience-stricken that it was too late

in every tufted furrow; flock after flock of twittering little birds whirl

otted shoals of clouds spread spaces of

the wind went d

is watch with the absent-minded air which she already associated with him, and she let the question go from sheer disinclination for the effort of repetition-let the projected drive go-acquiescent,

. All was well enough, it appeared, for she sat beside Siward, quite content, knees clasped in her hands, exchanging imp

hed laughter; sometimes she smilingly agreed with his views, sometimes she let them go,

lessed indolence of the young world-and their few years i

ce and fuss-a few native woodcock-there's no flight yet from the north!-a few grouse, fewer snipe, a stray duck or

d y

ais rien,

voudrai

urq

e looked at her blue eyes and she laug

r that nobody could guess her decision in regard to Quarrier; and she partl

t she had liked few men as we

the people here, or coming

are t

"The Leroy

, y

ptain Voucher, and the

es

Vendenning-all sorts, all sets." And, with an effort: "If

d surprise, and finding reproach easier, told hi

roused in her a slight resentment as th

sion in others. She didn't exactly know how it might affect him if his reasonable demand was unsatisfied. She did not know him very well yet, only well enough to be aware that he was a gentlem

which he now had every reason to expect from her. This decision appeared t

ow Mr. Quarrier?" sh

t w

ill like him,

kes me, Miss Landis.

he was trying to remember the details-something she had paid small attention to at the time-something so foreign to her, so distant from her comprehensio

n. And, pursuing her reasoning aloud: "It couldn't have been very awful," she argued; "s

mbered-while you were driving me over from

but-what had Mr. Quar

overnor of

Mr. Quarrier ha

onsequences. And they say I took that risk. Therefore Mr. Quarrier, Major Belwether-all the governors di

er small head bent, a flush s

member; but some men who had dined too freely had made the wager, and this boy sitting beside her had accepted it-and won

; but worst of all was the publicity, the club's name smirched, the

among people of her own sort had left her incurious and indifferent. But now she saw it in a new light, with the man who h

o head and shoulders, a cleanly outlined check and chin, a thoroughbred ear set close-a good face. What sort of a

an you are, Mr. Siward

was; I don't know w

e. "Why did you do-didn't you know-realize what yo

ndition to know

d her had she been less intelligent. Nor, as it was, did she fully under

shameful!" sh

nted; "it's a

! Do you mea

ned to lie at Siward's feet, its brown eyes tirelessly watching the man it had chosen for its friend

her sex and common to both. Besides, her knowledge of such matters was as vague as her mind was healthy and body wholesome. Men who dined incautiously were not remarkable for their rarity; the actress habit, being incomprehensible to her, meant nothing; and she said, innocently: "What me

do you d

, deception, a

ad in the papers that one of the two

"It was common! common!-thoroughly disgraceful and incomprehensible!"-and with every word uttered insensibly warming i

caressing the dog's head wh

n smiling a little: "So now I know the w

red mouth. Had she been too severe? She wondered. "You ma

rsonal manner so suited to him; and now they stood together in the purple

has happened, but you know as well as I do that we have formed a-an acquaintance-the sort that under normal conditions requir

d laughing, "that

onventional agreeable. What I want

colour stained

chance to admonish a sinner-and be-just a little sorr

d, wincin

she concluded. "So now that I have answered my own q

y because she was not at all sure what either Quarrier or Major Belwether would think of the terms she was already on with Siward. Suppose they objected? She had never thwarted either of thes

ne lamps on a cluster of motor cars spread a blinding light across t

party has retu

passing, grooms with dogs and guns and fluffy bunches of game-birds, several

able smile curving her lips; then, with a little nod, friendly a