Horn\'s；butshedidherbestwithhimastheonlyflirtablematerialwhichhadyetcometoherhand。Itwouldhavebeenheridealtohavetheyoungmenstaytillpastmidnight，andherfathercomedown-stairsinhisstocking-feetandtellthemitwastimetogo。Buttheymadeavisitofdecorousbrevity，andKendricksdidnotcomeagain。Shemethimafterward，once，asshewascrossingthepavementinUnionSquaretogetintohercoupe，andmadethemostofhim；butitwasnecessarilyverylittle，andsohepassedoutofherlifewithouthavingleftanytraceinherheart，thoughMelahadaheartthatshewouldhaveputatthedispositionofalmostanyyoungmanthatwantedit。Kendrickshimself，Manhattancockneyashewas，withscarcelymoreoutlookintotheaverageAmericannaturethanifhehadbeenkeptaprisonerinNewYorksocietyallhisdays，perceivedapropertyinherwhichforbadehimasamanofconsciencetotriflewithher；somethingearthlygoodandkind，ifitwassimpleandvulgar。Inrevisinghisimpressionsofher，itseemedtohimthatshewouldcomeeventobetterliteraryeffectifthiswererecognizedinher；anditmadehersacred，inspiteofherwillingnesstofoolandtobefooled，inhermerelyhumanquality。Afterall，hesawthatshewishedhonestlytoloveandtobeloved，andtheluresshethrewouttothatendseemedtohimpatheticratherthanridiculous；hecouldnotjoinBeatoninlaughingather；andhedidnotlikeBeaton\'slaughingattheothergirl，either。ItseemedtoKendricks，withthecodeofhonorwhichhemostlykepttohimselfbecausehewasalittleashamedtofindthereweresofewotherslikeit，thatifBeatoncarednothingfortheothergirl——andChristineappearedsimplydetestabletoKendricks——
hehadbetterkeepawayfromher，andnotgivehertheimpressionhewasinlovewithher。Heratherfanciedthatthiswasthepartofagentleman，andhecouldnothavepenetratedtothataestheticandmoralcomplexitywhichformedtheconsciousnessofanaturelikeBeaton\'sandwaschieflyatormenttoitself；hecouldnothaveconceivedofthewaywardimpulsesindulgedateverymomentinlittlethingstillthestraighthighwaywastraversedandwell-nighlostundertheirtangle。
Todowhateveronelikesisfinallytodonothingthatonelikes，eventhoughonecontinuestodowhatonewill；butKendricks，thoughasageoftwenty-seven，wasstilltooyoungtounderstandthis。
Beatonscarcelyunderstoodithimself，perhapsbecausehewasnotyettwenty-seven。Heonlyknewthathiswillwassomehowsick；thatitspentitselfincaprices，andbroughthimnohappinessfromthefulfilmentofthemostvehementwish。Buthewasawarethathiswishesgrewlessandlessvehement；hebegantohaveafearthatsometimehemighthavenoneatall。Itseemedtohimthatifhecouldoncedosomethingthatwasthoroughlydistastefultohimself，hemightmakeabeginningintherightdirection；butwhenhetriedthisonasmallscale，itfailed，anditseemedstupid。Somesortofexpiationwasthethingheneeded，hewassure；buthecouldnotthinkofanythinginparticulartoexpiate；amancouldnotexpiatehistemperament，andhistemperamentwaswhatBeatondecidedtobeatfault。Heperceivedthatitwentdeeperthanevenfatewouldhavegone；hecouldhavefulfilledanevildestinyandhaddonewithit，howeverterrible。Histroublewasthathecouldnotescapefromhimself；and，forthemostpart，hejustifiedhimselfinrefusingtotry。
AfterhehadcometothatdistinctunderstandingwithAlmaLeighton，andexperiencedthereliefitreallygavehim，hethoughtforawhilethatifithadfallenoutotherwise，andshehadputhiminchargeofherdestiny，hemighthavebeenbetterabletomanagehisown。Butasitwas，hecouldonlydrift，andletallotherthingstaketheircourse。