Thenineholeshadbeenplayed，andbyasinglestrokeBarbarahadwonthematch，whichpleasedherverymuch，forshehaddoneherbest，andwithsuchheavyoddsinhisfavourSirRobert，whohadalsodonehisbest，wasnomeanopponent，evenforaplayerofherskill。Indeedthefighthadbeenquiteearnest，foreachpartyknewthatitwasbutapreludetoanotherandmoreseriousfight，andlookedupontheresultasinsomesenseanomen。
“Iamconquered，“hesaidinavoiceinwhichvexationstruggledwithalaugh，“andbyawomanoverwhomIhadanadvantage。Itishumiliating，forIconfessIdonotlikebeingbeaten。“
“Don’tyouthinkthatwomengenerallywiniftheymeanto？“askedBarbara。“Ibelievethatwhentheyfail，whichisoftenenough，itisbecausetheydon’tcare，orcan’tmakeuptheirminds。Awomaninearnestisadangerousantagonist。“
“Yes，“heanswered，“orthebestofallies。“Thenhegavetheclubsandhalf-a-crowntothecaddies，andwhentheywereoutofhearing，added，“MissChampers，Ihavebeenwonderingforsometimewhetheritispossiblethatyouwouldbecomesuchanallytome。“
“Iknownothingofbusiness，SirRobert；mytastesdonotliethatway。“
“YouknowwellthatIwasnotspeakingofbusiness，MissChampers。I
wasspeakingofanotherkindofpartnership，thatwhichNaturehasordainedbetweenmenandwomen——marriage。Willyouacceptmeasahusband？“
Sheopenedherlipstospeak，butheliftedhishandandwenton。
“Listenbeforeyougivethatreadyanswerwhichitissohardtorecall，orsmoothaway。Iknowallmydisadvantages，myyears，whichtoyoumayseemmany；mymodestorigin；mytrade，which，notaltogetherwithoutreason，youdespiseanddislike。Well，thefirsttwocannotbechangedexceptfortheworse；thesecondcanbe，andalreadyis，buriedbeneaththegoldandermineofwealthandtitles。
WhatdoesitmatterifIamthesonofaCityclerkwhoneverearnedmorethan￡2aweekandwasborninatenementatBattersea，whenIamoneoftherichmenofthisrichlandandshalldieapeerinapalace，leavingmillionsandhonourstomychildren？Asforthethird，myoccupation，Iampreparedtogiveitup。Ithasservedmyturn，andafternextweekIshallhaveearnedtheamountthatyearsagoI
determinedtoearn。Thenceforth，setabovetheaccidentsoffortune，I
proposetodevotemyselftohigheraims，thoseoflegitimateambition。
SofarasmytimewouldallowIhavealreadytakensomeshareinpoliticsasaworker；IintendtocontinueinthemasarulerwhichI
stillhavethehealthandabilitytodo。ImeantobeoneofthefirstmeninthisEmpire，toridetopowerovertheheadsofallthenonentitieswhoseonlyclaimupontheconfidenceoftheircountrymenisthattheywereborninacertainclass，withmoneyintheirpocketsandwithouttheneedtospendthebestoftheirmanhoodinwork。WithyouatmysideIcandoallthesethingsandmore，andsuchisthefuturethatIhavetoofferyou。“
Againshewouldhavebrokeninuponhisspeechandagainhestoppedher，readingtheunspokenansweronherlips。
“Listen:Ihavenottoldyouall。PerhapsIhaveputfirstwhatshouldhavecomelast。IhavenottoldyouthatIloveyouearnestlyandsincerely，withthesettled，unalterablelovethatsometimescomestomeninmiddle-agewhohaveneverturnedtheirthoughtthatwaybefore。
Iwillnotattempttherhapsodiesofpassionwhichatmytimeoflifemightsoundfoolishoroutofplace；yetitistruethatIamfilledwiththispassionwhichhasdescendedonmeandtakenpossessionofme。Iwhooftenhavelaughedatsuchthingsinothermen，adoreyou。
Youareajoytomyeyes。Ifyouarenotintheroom，formeitisempty。Iadmiretheuprightnessofyourcharacter，andevenyourprejudices，andtoyourstandardIdesiretoapproximatemyown。I
thinkthatnomancaneverloveyouquitesowellasIdo，BarbaraChampers。Nowspeak。Iamreadytomeetthebestortheworst。“
AfterherfashionBarbaralookedhimstraightinthefacewithhersteadyeyes，andansweredgentlyenough，fortheman’smethodofpresentinghiscase，elaborateandpreparedthoughitevidentlywas，hadtouchedher。
“Ifearitistheworst，SirRobert。Therearehundredsofwomensuperiortomyselfineverywaywhowouldbegladtogiveyouthehelpandcompanionshipyouask，withtheirheartsthrownin。Chooseoneofthem，forIcannotdoso。“
Heheardandforthefirsttimehisfacebroke，asitwere。Allthiswhileithadremainedmasklikeandimmovable，evenwhenhespokeofhislove，butnowitbrokeasicebreaksatthepressureofasuddenfloodbeneath，andshesawthedepthsandeddiesofhisnatureandunderstoodtheirstrength。Notthatherevealedtheminspeech，angryorpleading，forthatremainedcalmandmeasuredenough。Shedidnothear，shesaw，andeventhenitwasmarvelloustoherthatamerechangeinaman’sexpressioncouldexplainsomuch。
“Thoseareverycruelwords，“hesaid。“Aretheyunalterable？“
“Quite。Idonotplayinsuchmatters，itwouldbewicked。“
“MayIaskyouonequestion，foriftheanswerisinthenegative，I
shallstillcontinuetohope？Doyoucareforanyotherman？“
Againshelookedathimwithherfearlesseyesandanswered:
“Yes，Iamengagedtoanotherman。“
“ToAlanVernon？“
Shenodded。
“Whendidthathappen？Someyearsago？“
“No，thismorning。“
“GreatHeavens！“hemutteredinahoarsevoiceturninghisheadaway，“thismorning。Thenlastnightitmightnothavebeentoolate，andlastnightIshouldhavespokentoyou，Ihadarrangeditall。Yes，ifithadnotbeenforthestoryofthataccursedfetishandyouruncle’sillness，Ishouldhavespokentoyou，andperhapssucceeded。“
“Ithinknot，“shesaid。
Heturneduponherandnotwithstandingthetearsinhiseyestheyburnedlikefire。
“Youthink——youthink，“hegasped，“butIknow。Ofcourseafterthismorningitwasimpossible。But，Barbara，IsaythatIwillwinyouyet。IhaveneverfailedinanyobjectthatIsetbeforemyself，anddonotsupposethatIshallfailinthis。AlthoughinawayIlikedandrespectedhim，IhavealwaysfeltthatVernonwasmyenemy，onedestinedtobringgriefandlossuponme，evenifhedidnotintendtodoso。NowIunderstandwhy，andheshalllearnthatIamstrongerthanhe。Godhelphim！Isay。“
“IthinkHewill，“Barbaraanswered，calmly。“Youarespeakingwildly，andIunderstandthereasonandhopethatyouwillforgetyourwords，butwhetheryouforgetorremember，donotsupposethatyoufrightenme。Youmenwhohavemademoney，“shewentonwithswellingindignation，“whohavemademoneysomehow，andhaveboughthonourswiththemoneyssomehow，thinkyourselvesgreat，andinyourlittleday，yourlittle，littledaythatwillendwiththreelinesinsmalltypein/TheTimes/，youaregreatinthisvulgarland。Youcanbuywhatyouwantandpeoplecreeproundyouandaskyoufordolesandfavours，andrailwayporterscallyou’myLord’ateveryotherstep。
Butyouforgetyourlimitationsinthisworld，andthatwhichlivesaboveyou。Yousayyouwilldothisandthat。Youshouldstudyabookwhichfewofyoueverread，whereittellsyouthatyoudonotknowwhatyouwillbeonthemorrow；thatyourlifeisevenasavapourappearingforalittletimeandthenvanishingaway。YouthinkthatyoucancrushthemantowhomIhavegivenmyheartbecauseheishonestandyouaredishonest，becauseyouarerichandheispoor，andbecausehechancestohavesucceededwhereyouhavenot。Well，formyselfandforhimIdefyyou。Doyourworstandfail，andwhenyouhavefailed，inthehourofyourextremityremembermywordsto-day。
IfIhavegivenyoupainbyrefusingyouitisnotmyfaultandIamsorry，butwhenyouthreatenthemanwhohashonouredmewithhisloveandwhomIhonouraboveeverycreatureupontheearth，thenIthreatenback，andmaythePowerthatmadeusalljudgebetweenyouandme，asjudgeitwill，“andburstingintotearssheturnedandlefthim。
SirRobertwatchedhergo。
“Whatawoman！“hesaidmeditatively，“whatawoman——tohavelost。
Wellshehassetthestakesandwewillplayoutthegame。Thecardsallseemtobeinmyhands，butitwouldnotintheleastsurprisemeifshewontherubber，fortheelementthatIcallChanceandshewouldcallsomethingelse，maycomein。Still，Ineverrefusedachallengeyetandwewillplaythegameoutwithoutpitytotheloser。“
Thatnightthefirsttrickwasplayed。WhenhegotbacktoTheCourtSirRobertorderedhismotorcaranddepartedonurgentbusiness，eithertohisownplace，OldHall，ortoLondon，sayingonlythathehadbeensummonedawaybytelegram。Asthe70-horse-powerMercedesglidedoutofthegatesapencillednotewasputintoMr。Haswell’shand。
Itran:“Ihavetriedandfailed——forthepresent。Byill-luckA。V。hadbeenbeforeme，onlythismorning。IfIhadnotmissedmychancelastnightowingtoyourillness，itwouldhavebeendifferent。Idonot，however，intheleastabandonmyplan，inwhichofcourseIrelyonandexpectyoursupport。KeepV。intheofficeorlethimgoasyoulike。Perhapsitwouldbebetterifyoucouldprevailuponhimtostopthereuntilaftertheflotation。Butwhateveryousayatthemoment，Itrusttoyoutoabsolutelyvetoanyengagementbetweenhimandyourniece，andtothatendtouseallyourpowersandauthorityasherguardian。
Burnthisnote。
