“She is a poor, ill-conditioned creature,” Waymark re plied, rather contemptuously.

“Can you explain,” asked Ida, “how it was that Mr. Casti married her?”

“For my life, I can’t!  I half believe it was out of mere pity; I shouldn’t wonder if the proposal came from her side.  Casti might once have done something; but I’m afraid he never will now.”

“And he is so very good to her.  I pity him from my heart whenever I see them together.  Often I have been so discouraged by her cold suspicious ways, that I half-thought I should have to give it up, but I felt it would be cruel to desert him so.  I met him in the street the other night just as I was going to her, and he thanked me for what I was doing in a way that almost made me cry.”

“By-the-by,” said Waymark, “you know her too well to venture upon anything like direct criticism of her behaviour, when you talk together!”

“Indeed, I scarcely venture to speak of herself at all.  It would be hard to say what we talk about.”

“Of course,” Waymark said, after a short silence, “there are limits to self-devotion.  So long as it seems to you that there is any chance of doing some good, well, persevere.  But you mustn’t be sacrificed to such a situation.  The time you give her is so much absolute loss to yourself.”

“Oh, but I work hard to make up for it.  You are not dissatisfied with me?”

“And what if I were?  Would it matter much?”

This was one of the things that Waymark was ever and again saying, in spite of himself.  He could not resist the temptation of proving his power in this way; it is so sweet to be assured of love, even though every voice within cries out against the temptation to enjoy it, and condemns every word or act that could encourage it to hope.  Ida generally met such remarks with silence; but in this instance she looked up steadily, and said—­

“Yes, it would matter much.”  Waymark drew in his breath, half turned away—­and spoke of some quite different matter.

Harriet carried out her intention of visiting Ida on the following day.  In these three weeks she had only been to Ida’s lodgings once.  The present visit was unexpected.  She waited about the pavement for Ida’s return from work, and shortly saw her approaching.

“This is kind of you,” Ida said.  “We’ll have some tea, and then, if you’re not too tired, we might go into the park.  It will be cool then.”

She dreaded the thought of sitting alone with Harriet.  But the latter said she must get home early, and would only have time to sit for half an hour.  When Ida had lit her fire, and put the kettle on, she found that the milk which she had kept since the morning for Grim and herself had gone sour; so she had to run out to a dairy to fetch some.

“You won’t mind being left alone for a minute?” she said.

“Oh, no; I’ll amuse myself with Grim.”