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that you have renounced your title and your father's earldom。〃
〃Real ones？ Oh； dear nobut I've thrown aside our sham one for good。〃
This answer fell just at the right time and just in the right place； to
save the poor unstable young man from changing his political complexion
once more。 He had been on the point of beginning to totter again； but
this prop shored him up and kept him from floundering back into democracy
and re…renouncing aristocracy。 So he went home glad that he had asked
the fortunate question。 The girl would accept a little thing like a
genuine earldom； she was merely prejudiced against the brummagem article。
Yes； he could have his girl and have his earldom； too： that question was
a fortunate stroke。
Sally went to bed happy； too； and remained happy； deliriously happy； for
nearly two hours； but at last； just as she was sinking into a contented
and luxurious unconsciousness； the shady devil who lives and lurks and
hides and watches inside of human beings and is always waiting for a
chance to do the proprietor a malicious damage； whispered to her soul and
said； 〃That question had a harmless look； but what was back of it？ what
was the secret motive of it？ what suggested it？〃
The shady devil had knifed her； and could retire； now； and take a rest；
the wound would attend to business for him。 And it did。
Why should Howard Tracy ask that question？ If he was not trying to marry
her for the sake of her rank； what should suggest that question to him？
Didn't he plainly look gratified when she said her objections to
aristocracy had their limitations？ Ah； he is after that earldom； that
gilded shamit isn't poor me he wants。
So she argued； in anguish and tears。 Then she argued the opposite
theory； but made a weak； poor business of it； and lost the case。 She
kept the arguing up； one side and then the other； the rest of the night；
and at last fell asleep at dawn； fell in the fire at dawn； one may say；
for that kind of sleep resembles fire； and one comes out of it with his
brain baked and his physical forces fried out of him。
CHAPTER XXIII。
Tracy wrote his father before he sought his bed。 He wrote a letter which
he believed would get better treatment than his cablegram received； for
it contained what ought to be welcome news； namely； that he had tried
equality and working for a living； had made a fight which he could find
no reason to be ashamed of； and in the matter of earning a living had
proved that he was able to do it； but that on the whole he had arrived at
the conclusion that he could not reform the world single…handed； and was
willing to retire from the conflict with the fair degree of honor which
he had gained； and was also willing to return home and resume his
position and be content with it and thankful for it for the future；
leaving further experiment of a missionary sort to other young people
needing the chastening and quelling persuasions of experience； the only
logic sure to convince a diseased imagination and restore it to rugged
health。 Then he approached the subject of marriage with the daughter of
the American Claimant with a good deal of caution and much painstaking
art。 He said praiseful and appreciative things about the girl； but
didn't dwell upon that detail or make it prominent。 The thing which he
made prominent was the opportunity now so happily afforded； to reconcile
York and Lancaster； graft the warring roses upon one stem； and end
forever a crying injustice which had already lasted far too long。 One
could infer that he had thought this thing all out and chosen this way of
making all things fair and right because it was sufficiently fair and
considerably wiser than the renunciation…scheme which he had brought with
him from England。 One could infer that； but he didn't say it。 In fact
the more he read his letter over； the more he got to inferring it
himself。
When the old earl received that letter； the first part of it filled him
with a grim and snarly satisfaction； but the rest of it brought a snort
or two out of him that could be translated differently。 He wasted no ink
in this emergency； either in cablegrams or letters； he promptly took ship
for America to look into the matter himself。 He had staunchly held his
grip all this long time； and given no sign of the hunger at his heart to
see his son； hoping for the cure of his insane dream； and resolute that
the process should go through all the necessary stages without assuaging
telegrams q other nonsense from home； and here was victory at last。
Victory； but stupidly marred by this idiotic marriage project。 Yes； he
would step over and take a hand in this matter himself。
During the first ten days following the mailing of the letter Tracy's
spirits had no idle time； they were always climbing up into the clouds or
sliding down into the earth as deep as the law of gravitation reached。
He was intensely happy or intensely miserable by turns； according to Miss
Sally's moods。 He never could tell when the mood was going to change；
and when it changed he couldn't tell what it was that had changed it。
Sometimes she was so in love with him that her love was tropical； torrid；
and she could find no language fervent enough for its expression； then
suddenly； and without warning or any apparent reason； the weather would
change； and the victim would find himself adrift among the icebergs and
feeling as lonesome and friendless as the north pole。 It sometimes
seemed to him that a man might better be dead than exposed to these
devastating varieties of climate。
The case was simple。 Sally wanted to believe that Tracy's preference was
disinterested； so she was always applying little tests of one sort or
another； hoping and expecting that they would bring out evidence which
would confirm or fortify her belief。 Poor Tracy did not know that these
experiments were being made upon him； consequently he walked promptly
into all the traps the girl set for him。 These traps consisted in
apparently casual references to social distinction； aristocratic title
and privilege； and such things。 Often Tracy responded to these
references heedlessly and not much caring what he said provided it kept
the talk going and prolonged the seance。 He didn't suspect that the girl
was watching his face and listening for his words as one who watches the
judge's face and listens for the words which will restore him to home and
friends and freedom or shut him away from the sun and human companionship
forever。 He didn't suspect that his careless words were being weighed；
and so he often delivered sentence of death when it would have been just
as handy and all the same to him to pronounce acquittal。 Daily he broke
the girl's heart； nightly he sent her to the rack for sleep。 He couldn't
understand it。
Some people would have put this and that together and perceived that the
weather never changed until one particular subject was introduced；
and that then it always changed。 And they would have looked further；
and perceived that that subject was always introduced by the one party；
never the other。 They would have argued； then； that this was done for a
purpose。 If they could not find out what that purpose was in any simpler
or easier way； they would ask。
But Tracy was not deep enough or suspicious enough to think of these
things。 He noticed only one particular； that the weather was always
sunny when a visit began。 No matter how much it might cloud up later；
it always began with a clear sky。 He couldn't explain this curious fact
to himself； he merely knew it to be a fact。 The truth of the matter was；
that by the time Tracy had been out of Sally's sight six hours she was so
famishing for a sight of him that her doubts and suspicions were all
consumed away in the fire of that longing； and so always she came into
his presence as surprisingly radiant and joyous as she wasn't when she
went out of it。
In circumstances like these a growing portrait runs a good many risks。
The portrait of Sellers； by Tracy； was fighting along； day by day；
through this mixed weather； and daily adding to itself ineradicable signs
of the checkered life it was leading。 It was the happiest portrait； in
spots； that was ever seen； but in other spots a damned soul looked out
from it； a soul that was suffering all the different kinds of distress
there are； from stomach ache to rabies。 But Sellers liked it： He said it
was just himself all overa portrait that sweated moods from every pore；
and no two moods alike。 He said he had as many different kinds of
emotions in him as a jug。
It was a kind of a deadly work of art； maybe； but it was a starchy
picture for show； for it was life size； full length； and represented the
American earl in a peer's scarlet robe； with the three ermine bars
indicative of an earl's rank； and on the gray head an earl's coronet；
tilted just a wee bit to one side in a most gallus and winsome way。 When
Sally's weather was sunny the portrait made Tracy chuckle； but when her
weather was overcast it disordered his mind and stopped the circulation
of his blood。
Late one night when the sweethearts had been having a flawless visit
together； Sally'