Psychology A Concise Introduction 5th

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1. Our subjective experience of the external world and our mind is called:
A) self-perception.
B) objective reality.
C) consciousness.
D) unconscious processing.

2. The defining feature of consciousness that separates it from unconsciousness is:

A) experience.
B) activation-synthesis.
C) forebrain activity.
D) wakefulness.

3. Which statement about the theater of the mind is FALSE?

A) It is difficult to share what we view in the theater with other people.
B) The movie projected onto our mental screen can be viewed repeatedly if we so
choose.
C) Some things presently occurring are not projected onto our mental screen.
D) There is only a single seat in the theater.

4. A psychologist studying consciousness is analogous to a(n):

A) botanist pondering what it is like to be a daffodil.
B) theoretical physicist attempting to determine what happens to objects that enter a
black hole.
C) meteorologist trying to predict the weather.
D) alchemist trying to turn lead into gold.

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5. _____ refers to how things seem to the _____ person.
A) Phrenology; unconscious
B) Phenomenology; unconscious
C) Phrenology; conscious
D) Phenomenology; conscious

6. Phenomenology refers to:

A) how things seem to the conscious person.
B) how things seem to a person during a dream.
C) the comparison of a single phenomenon with a transcendental state.
D) the practice of determining traits by examining bumps on the skull.

7. The _____ is the fundamental problem we have in knowing whether the mental
experiences of another person are anything like our own.
A) problem of other minds
B) mind–body problem
C) levels of consciousness issue
D) "unknown observer" issue

8. To illustrate the problem of other minds, philosophers imagine hypothetical zombies

that:
A) are themselves fully conscious.
B) have a mind but must eat brains because they are lacking this critical organ.
C) are themselves unconscious but are indistinguishable from persons who are
conscious.
D) are programmed to act in certain ways but cannot modify their actions based on
experiences.

9. Which statement about the problem of other minds is TRUE?

A) The "consciousness meter" of anesthesiologists has produced tremendous insight
into the conscious experiences of other minds.
B) You can quickly assess if your roommate is or is not an unconscious zombie by
asking her how she feels.
C) By studying another person in tremendous detail, psychologists ultimately will be
able to truly know what it is like to be that person.
D) It cannot be proven if anyone else besides you even experiences consciousness.

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10. Recent research has indicated that the two dimensions of mind perception are:
A) feeling and experience.
B) experience and agency.
C) agency and self-control.
D) planning and memory.

11. A _____ perceives as having agency but lacking experience.

A) baby
B) person in a persistent vegetative state
C) robot
D) chimpanzee

12. _____ perceives as having experience but not agency.

A) A baby
B) God
C) A robot
D) An adult human

13. The psychological approach known as _____ was proposed as a way to make the
problem of other minds a nonissue.
A) structuralism
B) phrenology
C) mentalism
D) behaviorism

14. The issue of how the mind is related to the brain and body is known as the:
A) cocktail-party phenomenon.
B) problem of other minds.
C) mind–body problem.
D) split-brain problem.

15. _____ believed that the human body was a physical machine but that the human mind
was made of an immaterial "thinking substance."
A) Benjamin Libet
B) Sigmund Freud
C) William James
D) René Descartes

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16. René Descartes, a French philosopher and mathematician, believed that the mind had its
effects on the brain and body through the:
A) ventricular system.
B) parasympathetic nervous system.
C) hippocampus.
D) pineal gland.

17. Which belief was NOT expressed by René Descartes?

A) The mind is not composed of physical matter.
B) The mind is what the brain does.
C) The mind is a separate entity from the body.
D) The human body functions as a machine.

18. In Benjamin Libet's experiments, the timing of conscious will was shown to follow
which pattern?
A) Brain activity begins, a conscious wish to act is experienced, and then behavioral
action occurs.
B) A conscious wish to act is experienced, brain activity begins, and then behavioral
action occurs.
C) Behavioral action occurs, brain activity begins, and then a conscious wish to act is
experienced.
D) A conscious wish to act is experienced, behavioral action occurs, and then brain
activity begins.

19. From Benjamin Libet's experiments on timing conscious will, it appears that the:
A) mind directs the brain and behavior.
B) mind and brain simultaneously direct behavior.
C) brain directs behavior but is not associated with mental processes.
D) brain directs the mind and behavior.

20. From Benjamin Libet's experiments on timing conscious will, it appears that:
A) the feeling of conscious will exists because the mind directs brain and behavioral
processes.
B) the feeling of conscious will is the result of brain activity and not the cause of it.
C) within 300 milliseconds after willing an action to occur, brain activity has begun to
direct behavior.
D) conscious will is the result of the mind justifying a behavioral action after the fact.

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21. The four basic properties of consciousness are:
A) selectivity, unity, intentionality, and self-consciousness.
B) selectivity, transience, phenomenology, and dichotomy.
C) intentionality, unity, selectivity, and transience.
D) intentionality, dichotomy, selectivity, and transience.

22. Consciousness is always directed toward an object, a property of consciousness termed:

A) selectivity.
B) transience.
C) unity.
D) intentionality.

23. Consciousness integrates information from all of the bodily senses into a coherent
whole, a property of consciousness termed:
A) selectivity.
B) transience.
C) unity.
D) intentionality.

24. Jenny, the pitcher for her softball team, adjusts her grip on the ball, squints to block the
glare of the hot sun, receives a signal from the catcher, and begins her windup as
teammates chant in nervous anticipation. If asked, Jenny would report she is
experiencing all the sights and sounds of a softball game as a whole scene, rather than
experiencing each perception individually. This illustrates the _____ of consciousness.
A) unity
B) selectivity
C) transience
D) intentionality

25. The capacity to include some objects in consciousness and not others is called the _____
of consciousness.
A) selectivity
B) unity
C) inclusivity
D) transience

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26. While watching a competitive basketball game on television, Harry doesn't hear his wife
asking for his help. This illustrates which property of consciousness?
A) selectivity
B) unity
C) inclusivity
D) transience

27. Participants in a research study wear headphones through which different voices are
presented in each ear. They are told to repeat all of the information coming into their left
ear. Later, they are asked to recall information about what was presented in the right ear.
This is an example of the:
A) dichotic listening technique.
B) unity of consciousness.
C) split-brain research methodology.
D) cocktail-party effect.

28. While repeating information given to them through headphones in their left ear,
participants are also receiving a second message in their right ear. Which aspect of the
second message would MOST likely be noticed?
A) The speaker changes languages.
B) The voice of the speaker changes sexes.
C) The subject of the message switches from the weather to current events.
D) The voice of the speaker is slow and monotone throughout.

29. The dichotic listening technique illustrates which property of consciousness?

A) intentionality
B) selectivity
C) transience
D) unity

30. Katie is in the school gym talking to a group of her friends. All of a sudden, her
attention is diverted to another group of people talking in the opposite corner of the gym
when someone mentions her name in their conversation. This is an example of:
A) inattentional blindness.
B) minimal consciousness.
C) self-consciousness.
D) the cocktail-party phenomenon.

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31. No matter how engaged in conversation parents may be, they probably will quickly
notice if their children start crying. This is an example of the:
A) unity of consciousness.
B) division of attention.
C) dual attention phenomenon.
D) cocktail-party effect.

32. Amanda is trying to focus on what her psychology professor is saying, but her mind
keeps wandering to other things, like the fact that the lecture hall is cold, her seat is
hard, there is a message on her cell phone to check, and whether or not Kevin is going to
be at the party tonight. This illustrates the _____ of consciousness.
A) intentionality
B) unity
C) transience
D) selectivity

33. The fact that our consciousness can wander like a stream is taken as evidence of the
_____ of consciousness.
A) intentionality
B) unity
C) transience
D) selectivity

34. The fact that our consciousness has a tendency to change from one moment to the next
is termed the _____ of consciousness.
A) intentionality
B) unity
C) transience
D) selectivity

35. The Necker cube illusion illustrates the _____ of consciousness.

A) transience
B) unity
C) intentionality
D) selectivity

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36. The psychologist who famously described consciousness as flowing like a stream was:
A) Sigmund Freud.
B) William James.
C) John Watson.
D) Wilhelm Wundt.

37. The levels of consciousness that psychologists distinguish are defined in terms of:
A) objective behavioral observations made by an unbiased observer.
B) score on a wakefulness meter initially developed for surgery patients.
C) awareness of the world and self.
D) different patterns of brain activity.

38. While Theresa is asleep, her roommate places Theresa's hand in bowl of cold water.
Theresa removes her hand from the bowl but remains asleep. Theresa is at which level
of consciousness?
A) minimal consciousness
B) full consciousness
C) unconsciousness
D) REM consciousness

39. Although Alek is clearly sleeping, when Katrina pokes him in the ribs, Alek rolls over.
This demonstrates that Alek is:
A) minimally conscious.
B) fully conscious.
C) self-conscious.
D) REM conscious.

40. A state in which conscious experience can be reported to others is said to be:
A) minimal consciousness.
B) full consciousness.
C) self-consciousness.
D) verbal consciousness.

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41. Betsy and Jasmine are arguing about the intellectual abilities of their dog, Amos. Betsy
claims that Amos knows that he is supposed to bark on the command "speak." Jasmine
agrees that Amos speaks on command but contends that Amos is not aware that he has
learned this stimulus-response relation. Betsy and Jasmine are debating whether Amos
is _____ of his clever abilities.
A) preconscious
B) fully conscious
C) self-conscious
D) transient

42. Upon arriving at work, Bailey suddenly becomes aware that she must have zoned out
because she doesn't remember her 20-minute drive. Bailey was _____ during the drive.
A) autoconscious
B) unconscious
C) self-conscious
D) minimally conscious

43. William James has suggested that self-consciousness occurs when:

A) we focus all of our attention on an object.
B) our attention is drawn to ourselves as an object.
C) we can respond to stimuli in our environments.
D) we simplify our lives and stop being fully conscious.

44. Which behavior is LEAST likely to produce a state of self-consciousness?

A) staring in the mirror
B) thinking about career and personal goals
C) being embarrassed by classmates
D) cheering at a football game with 80,000 other people

45. Which behavior is LEAST likely to produce a state of self-consciousness?

A) sitting in a large lecture hall learning about American history
B) writing about your personal and career ambitions
C) giving a speech in front of your class
D) viewing photographs of yourself

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46. Research has demonstrated that looking in the mirror CANNOT briefly make people
more:
A) self-critical.
B) aggressive.
C) helpful.
D) cooperative.

47. Mind wandering is MOST likely to occur when a person:

A) experiences an overload of sensory stimulation.
B) is trying to escape from an unpleasant situation.
C) is tired.
D) engages in repetitive undemanding tasks.

48. Mind wandering is the experience of stimulus-_____ thoughts.

A) independent
B) dependent
C) triggered
D) repetitive

49. One disadvantage associated with mind wandering is:

A) a greater propensity to hallucinate.
B) lowered levels of creativity.
C) feelings of unhappiness.
D) a greater propensity to abuse drugs and alcohol.

50. In a recent study by Wilson and colleagues (2014), 67% of male participants and 25% of
female participants elected to administer electric shocks to themselves, rather than:
A) give a speech to a group of strangers.
B) sit alone with their thoughts.
C) view pictures of themselves from their pubescent years.
D) write about a challenging time in their lives.

51. Self-recognition in a mirror is limited to:

A) humans over 3 years old, cats, and gorillas.
B) humans, dogs, and apes.
C) a few animals and children over 18 months old.
D) humans over 3 years old.

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52. The capacity to recognize one's own mirror image is evident in humans:
A) at birth.
B) by age 6 months.
C) by age 18 months.
D) by age 3 years.

53. Which process MOST accurately describes the experience-sampling technique of

determining the contents of consciousness?
A) Participants keep a dream diary at bedside to record their dreams upon awakening.
B) Participants keep detailed thought journals and update these journals at least twice
a day.
C) Participants report what is on their mind when prompted at random times
throughout the day.
D) Participants talk out loud when something is on their mind and this is recorded.

54. Studies using the experience-sampling technique suggest that our consciousness tends to
be dominated by:
A) our own personal feelings.
B) unconscious motives.
C) feelings of self-consciousness.
D) the sensory inputs of our immediate environment.

55. Excluding orientation to the immediate environment, studies using the experience-
sampling technique suggest that our consciousness tends to be dominated by:
A) current concerns.
B) unconscious motives.
C) mate selection.
D) long-term planning.

56. The state of consciousness in which a seemingly purposeless flow of thoughts comes to
mind is termed:
A) daydreaming.
B) hypnosis.
C) introspection.
D) minimal consciousness.

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57. Using fMRI, the widespread pattern of brain activity observed when people have
nothing specific to which to attend is termed the:
A) current concerns.
B) conscious will.
C) default network.
D) rebound effect.

58. Which thought is LEAST likely to be part of a college student's default network?
A) Are the concepts learned in class applicable to daily life?
B) Do I need to lose weight?
C) Should I be more or less religious?
D) When will I find time to clean my room?

59. Which thought is probably NOT part of a college student's default network?
A) What am I going to do with my life?
B) Do others find me physically attractive?
C) Why did my last relationship not work out?
D) Do I turn right or left to get to the house party?

60. The mental technique of thought suppression is:

A) the same thing as repression.
B) an unconscious technique.
C) best for negative emotional thoughts.
D) the conscious avoidance of a thought.

61. When fear of scoring badly on a math exam dominated his thoughts, David intentionally
used _____ to attempt to change his conscious state of mind.
A) self-consciousness
B) mental control
C) repression
D) sensory stimuli

62. If asked not to think about a snowman, a person will MOST likely:
A) think about a snowman much more.
B) think about a snowman much less.
C) think about a snowman only when engaged in a boring task.
D) dream about a snowman.

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63. A golfer consciously tries not to pull his drive, but a camera goes off during his
backswing and he ends up pulling his drive into the trees. Pulling the drive BEST
illustrates:
A) thought suppression.
B) ironic processes of mental control.
C) the Freudian unconscious.
D) self-consciousness.

64. A baseball pitcher knows that a batter often hits home runs when the pitch is on the
inner half of the strike zone. The pitcher consciously tries to pitch to the outer half but,
while distracted by a base runner, throws to the inner half and the batter hits a home run.
Pitching to the inner half of the strike zone BEST illustrates:
A) thought suppression.
B) ironic processes of mental control.
C) the Freudian unconscious.
D) self-consciousness.

65. Alex occasionally has self-doubts about his ability as a baseball player. His sports
psychologist advised him that it is extremely important to banish these doubts from
consciousness during games. Alex has found, however, that his self-doubts intensify
following games. This is an example of:
A) the rebound effect of thought suppression.
B) mental control.
C) the overcompensation effect.
D) the dynamic unconscious.

66. Participants told not to think about a white bear during a brief experiment may find
themselves thinking about the white bear for the rest of the day. This is an example of:
A) the rebound effect of thought suppression.
B) mental control.
C) the overcompensation effect.
D) the dynamic unconscious.

67. The rebound effect of thought suppression is the tendency of a thought to:
A) bounce in and out of consciousness during thought suppression.
B) return to consciousness with greater frequency following thought suppression.
C) become distorted into a false belief following thought suppression.
D) become less likely following prolonged periods of thought suppression.

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68. Participants in a research study are told that they must try not to think about a clown
riding a unicycle. According to the theory of ironic processes of mental control:
A) participants will devote way too much of our time and energy trying to accomplish
this rather simple task.
B) participants will successfully repress memories of clowns into their unconscious.
C) part of the participants' minds will actively search for this clown.
D) in suppressing this thought, participants will do poorly on simple cognitive tests
such as addition and subtraction.

69. Which statement about ironic monitoring processes is FALSE?

A) They operate outside of consciousness.
B) They allow us to recognize when unwanted thoughts occur.
C) They contribute to our ability to exert mental control over our consciousness.
D) They decrease our sensitivity to the thoughts that are unwanted.

70. Freud described the _____ as an active system encompassing a lifetime of hidden
memories, a person's deepest instincts and desires, and that person's inner struggle to
control these forces.
A) subconscious
B) superego
C) dynamic unconscious
D) ego

71. According to Freud, a college student's dynamic unconscious is LEAST likely to

contain:
A) feelings of hatred for her parents.
B) repressed sexual urges.
C) destructive urges toward herself.
D) current goals for the semester.

72. Freud described _____ as a mental process that removes unacceptable thoughts and
memories from consciousness.
A) thought suppression
B) speech errors (or slips)
C) the dynamic unconscious
D) repression

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73. Jeremy has no clue that he has unconscious hostile urges to act aggressively against his
boss. This is an example of:
A) a Freudian slip.
B) mental control.
C) subliminal perception.
D) repression.

74. Disapproving of her friend Amy's fiancé, Mindy told her boyfriend that she dreaded
going to Amy's funeral when she meant to say "Amy's wedding." This speech error is an
example of:
A) a lapse of consciousness.
B) repression.
C) a rebound effect of thought suppression.
D) a Freudian slip.

75. While campaigning for President, Hillary Clinton said "prisoner" when she meant to say
"President." This speech error is an example of:
A) a lapse of consciousness.
B) repression.
C) a rebound effect of thought suppression.
D) a Freudian slip.

76. A criticism of Freud's interpretations of Freudian slips is that:

A) recent research suggests that slips say nothing about the contents of consciousness.
B) in the real world, these types of slips are extremely rare.
C) they reflect the after-the-fact interpretation of the listener, instead of the thoughts
of the speaker.
D) the interpretations do not meet modern standards of statistical significance.

77. The _____ includes all the mental processes that are not experienced by a person but
that give rise to the person's thoughts, choices, emotions, and behaviors.
A) cognitive unconscious
B) dynamic unconscious
C) Freudian unconscious
D) repressed conscious

Page 15
Another random document with
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The Project Gutenberg eBook of Pyramids of snow
This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States
and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no
restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it
under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this
ebook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the
United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where
you are located before using this eBook.

Title: Pyramids of snow

Author: Edith Metcalfe

Release date: December 16, 2023 [eBook #72428]

Language: English

Original publication: London: Ward, Lock & Co., Limited, 1903

Credits: Al Haines

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PYRAMIDS

OF SNOW ***
"'Go out and stop out, or I'll have you put out.'" (Page 83.)
 PYRAMIDS OF SNOW.

BY

EDITH METCALFE.

"I can tell you without the help of an augur what will be your fate you become a
gambler. Either the vice will end by swallowing you up alive as a quicksand does, or if you
are a winner, your gains will disappear more quickly than they came, melting like pyramids
of snow."

WILLIAM DE BRITAINE.

LONDON:
WARD, LOCK & CO., LIMITED.
NEW YORK AND MELBOURNE.
1903

CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I
The Viaticum

CHAPTER II.
The Best Thing in the World

CHAPTER III.
Fraud

CHAPTER IV.
Mediation

CHAPTER V.
Kindred and Affinity

CHAPTER VI.
Bravado

CHAPTER VII.
Melville leads Trumps

CHAPTER VIII.
Rivals

CHAPTER IX.
Bigamy

CHAPTER X.
Light come, Light go

CHAPTER XI.
Mrs. Sinclair pays a Visit

CHAPTER XII.
A Pic-nic
CHAPTER XIII.
Murder

CHAPTER XIV.
The Finding of the Body

CHAPTER XV.
Flight

CHAPTER XVI.
An Unexpected Will

CHAPTER XVII.
An Arrest

CHAPTER XVIII.
A Faithful Servant

CHAPTER XIX.
In the Park

CHAPTER XX.
Money makes a Difference

CHAPTER XXI.
The Result of the Trial

CHAPTER XXII.
Mr. Tracy becomes Active

CHAPTER XXIII.
Sir Ross is Quits

CHAPTER XXIV.
Mrs. Sinclair Resolves to Go Away

CHAPTER XXV.
Mrs. Sinclair Goes away
CHAPTER XXVI.
Fate takes the Odd Trick

CHAPTER XXVII.
The Place of Peace

PYRAMIDS OF SNOW.

CHAPTER I.

THE VIATICUM.

Upon most of the people who thronged the rooms the incident was lost.
Of those who saw it many did not understand its meaning, and the rest were
too much absorbed in their own affairs to give it any attention. The scene
was the Casino at Monto Carlo; every chair was occupied, and behind every
chair men and women were standing, all intent upon the play, all consumed
by the feverish thirst of winning money born of the atmosphere of the place.
The brilliant light flashed in jewels and gleamed in eager eyes, heightened
the colour of flushed cheeks and emphasised the pallor of haggard faces;
against the black evening coat of one man sitting down was outlined the
bare arm of a woman, who laid her stake upon the table, and when the hand
was withdrawn it still hesitated over the black coat until the fortune of the
stake should be declared. Dominating everything was the monotonous
sound of the croupiers' voices and the noise of the money as it was raked to
and fro upon the tables.
 The incident which took place in this scene was a not uncommon one. It
was a little procession of three men, one a dark, good-looking man in well-
cut evening dress, who walked nonchalantly through the rooms, pausing
almost imperceptibly while his two companions shot a glance of
interrogation at each of the croupiers; when the croupiers, in reply, had shot
a glance of assent at his companions, the dark man moved on again until he
had almost completed his tour of the rooms. It was Melville Ashley
undergoing the process of identification as a well-known frequenter of the
rooms before receiving the viaticum which should enable him to return to
London.

It is the habit of the Englishman to conceal his feelings, and no one

could have guessed from Melville's demeanour whether he experienced
relief at having come to the end of his tether, regret at knowing that he
could play no more that season, mortification at his somewhat humiliating
position, or any other emotion which one may suppose natural to a gambler
who is suddenly baulked in his pursuits. He seemed entirely unconcerned,
perhaps a little bored, but certainly in complete possession of himself. To
the few people who, knowing him, found time to vouchsafe him a nod of
greeting, he bowed pleasantly enough. Of the existence of the others he
appeared unaware, though, in point of fact, his senses were so alert that he
could have supplied a remarkably close description of everyone had he been
asked to do so. For the time the gambling fever had left him, and with the
vanishing of his last coin there awoke in his mind an intense disgust at the
heavy scent in the air and the grotesque sight of the many pairs of white
gloves. He was only anxious for the great baize doors to swing behind him
and exclude him from what was generally the one desire of his heart.

Only once did he betray any interest. A woman leaning back in her
chair put out her hand to detain him. She understood the significance of his
escort, and there was some commiseration in her eyes.

"Are you going home, Mr. Ashley?" she asked, in a low tone.

"Yes," he answered, with a little smile; "I leave to-night."

In those conventional words was conveyed a perfectly frank confession

of the state of his finances. No need to invent any explanation of so sudden
a departure. His questioner was well enough acquainted with the language
of the place to know that he had pledged his word to return at once to
London, in consideration of value received.

"I'm sorry," she said, and looked as if she meant it; "but I daresay I shall
be following you soon, and then, perhaps, we may meet again. London is a
tiny little place."

"Yes," Melville assented politely; "but wouldn't it be as well if you gave

me one of your cards?"

"I haven't any," said Mrs. Sinclair, smiling lightly, for she liked a
sportsmanlike loser. "Men always carry cards—in case of duels, I suppose,
but women have no room in their purses for anything but money, and
nowhere but their purses to put anything else. Give me one of yours, and I
will write to you."

"That is too good of you," he replied, as he gave her one; "but of course
you will forget all about it. Good-night, good-bye."

"Auf wiedersehen," she answered prettily, and turned to her companion

on her left, who had watched the little comedy with a scowl upon his face.
Melville noted the scowl and bowed sardonically as he moved away. To be
conscious of superiority to anyone is satisfactory in one's hour of
discomfiture, and Melville derived a complacent satisfaction from this little
man's evident annoyance.

"The little bounder doesn't like me," he thought, "but he's a little ass to
show it. He must be very rich for Mrs. Sinclair to be willing to lay aside her
weeds for him."

The doors swung behind him, and in another moment Melville was in
the open air. He stretched out his arms in pure enjoyment of the lovely
night.

"I am infinitely obliged to you," he said to his escort; "the other trifling
formalities will, doubtless, be completed in due course;" and in what
seemed an incredibly short time Melville was on his way to London.
 Inside the Casino, the little bounder turned to his companion.

"Since you have no room in your purse for visiting cards," he said, "may
I not keep that one in safe custody for you?"

"Thanks, no," the woman answered, and slipped it inside her dress; "I
haven't finished playing yet, and my luck is in to-night."

"Would you be as kind to me," he pursued, "if I had to have recourse to

the charity of the bank to pay my fare to London? Or would you drop me
when my money went?"

Mrs. Sinclair looked at him coolly.

"Don't ask leading questions, and please don't make yourself ridiculous.
Civility costs nothing, and it amused me to be civil to that—gentleman."

"It is rare for you to be amused with anything that costs nothing," he
retorted, but Mrs. Sinclair would not be drawn. She began to play again,
and, when at last she stopped, the little man's carrying capacity was taxed to
take her winnings back to her hotel.

It would be a vain task to try to record all Melville Ashley's thoughts as

the train bore him across France; in the aggregate they amounted to little
less than a comprehensive cursing of everything and everybody, including
himself. For his position was desperate.

The younger son of his parents, both of whom had died while he was
still an infant, he had been brought up with his brother Ralph under the
guardianship of his uncle, Sir Geoffrey Holt, lord of the manor of
Fairbridge, in Surrey, whose co-heir, at any rate, he hoped some day to be.
Sir Geoffrey had played his part well, placing every advantage in the way of
both his nephews, but as the years slipped by he found it difficult to be quite
impartial in his personal treatment of the two lads, though he never failed to
be impartial in his dealings with them so far as they affected the education
and up-bringing of the boys.
 It was Ralph, however, who engrossed his uncle's affection, and
something in Melville's nature rose in rebellion at the thought that he came
second in the estimation of any person. Both boys were handsome, Melville
especially so; both were well endowed with intelligence, and both took
advantage of their opportunities. But whereas Ralph developed into a frank
and unaffected man, fond of athletics and outdoor pursuits, Melville became
more and more self-centred and reserved, devoting all his time to his one
absorbing love of music. Manhood brought liberty, and liberty in Melville's
case brought lack of self-restraint. His finer qualities led him into a certain
sort of temptation, and the men with whom his rare musical talents brought
him into contact were of a free and easy Bohemian type that did not afford
the most healthy companionship for a young fellow of his particular
temperament. Musical evenings led to smoking concerts, and the concerts
to late nights of which other and less innocent amusements were the
principal feature; billiards and cards became first a habit and then a passion,
and Melville was still in his early twenties when it was obvious that he was
a confirmed gambler.

Sir Geoffrey was patient and he was rich, but detestation of the gambler
was added to his dislike of his younger nephew, and more than one violent
quarrel had taken place between the two. It says much for the elder man that
he never referred to the position of absolute dependence occupied by the
younger one; but when, a few weeks before, Melville came to him with the
oft-repeated tale, Sir Geoffrey spoke his mind in the vernacular.

"Let me know the sum total of your accursed debts," he said, "if you
have the honesty or the wit to remember them, and I will clean the slate.
Then I will give you a final two hundred and fifty for yourself, and that
shall be the end."

When Melville gave him the damning list of debts, Sir Geoffrey bit his
lips until they bled. Livery stables, and wine and cigar merchants told a tale
of luxurious living which Sir Geoffrey himself had never been able to
afford in his younger days, and there were other items not precisely
specified, into which the elder man thought it better not to enquire too
curiously. But he kept his word. He drew crossed cheques payable to every
person named in the list for the full amount, and demanded a receipt from
each in full discharge of his nephew's liability. When the last receipt came
in, after a miserable week of waiting, he sent for Melville to his library.

"Is that the last?" he enquired grimly, and Melville assented. Then Sir
Geoffrey sat down at his table and drew one cheque more. "There is the two
hundred and fifty I promised you," he said; "make the best use of it you can,
for it is the last you ever have from me. The dog-cart will take you to the
station in half-an-hour." Then he turned on his heel and left him, and
Melville returned to town.

Five weeks before! And now the whole of the money was gone. With all
his ingenuity it would be difficult to invent a story which his uncle would
be likely to accept as a valid explanation of so surprising a fact.

Melville lighted a cigar and cursed his luck again.

Then the gambler's spirit re-asserted itself. He had had a glorious time at
Monte Carlo while it lasted. One night he had won more than five thousand
pounds, and another night the bank had to send out twice for fresh supplies
of money. That was the time of triumph. People had crowded round him,
some to follow his play, some to envy, some to congratulate him, and
among them he had seen Lavender Sinclair for the first time: a magnificent
woman truly, with splendid colouring and grandly moulded limbs; she wore
turquoise velvet, he remembered, and round her neck a barbaric collar of
turquoise bosses linked together on red gold; even in that room, where
jewels were as common as morals were rare, her jewels were conspicuous,
and she wore them perfectly. Some acquaintance introduced him to her, and
she seemed interested in hearing his name—had met people who knew him,
or some distant kinsmen, but there was no indication of any desire on her
part to press the acquaintance. She was in the ripest glory of her beauty, the
sort that is at its best when it is mature. He wondered idly how old she was,
over thirty certainly; but, after all, it did not matter. Rumour had it that she
was going to marry Sir Ross Buchanan, and Melville was contemptuous of
her choice of a second husband; he knew the man by sight, an undersized,
rather weakly fellow, who inherited an old title from his father and, it was
said, two millions sterling from his mother. Sir Ross was a pill that required
an unusual amount of gilding, and Melville's first admiration of the woman
was replaced by scorn of her venality. She was sympathetic though when he
bade her good-bye, and Melville appreciated sympathy.

The journey was very tedious, so Melville opened his dressing-case and
took out a packet of letters which had reached him at the hotel, but to which
he had not troubled to attend. Several he tore up and threw away, but there
was one which he carefully replaced in its envelope in his bag. It was from
his brother, and ran as follows:

"DEAR MELVILLE,—Why didn't you tell me you were going to

Monte Carlo? However, I hope you are enjoying yourself and having good
luck. By the way, I am going to ask you to do me a great favour. Can you
lend me a hundred for a fortnight? I will repay you then. My solicitors are
selling some capital for me, but they are so slow, and I am in immediate
want of the money. Do write soon.—Yours ever, RALPH ASHLEY. P.S.—
Have you heard of my engagement to Gwendolen Austen?"

"So he is hard up, too," Melville muttered. "No, I wouldn't lend him
fifty pounds if I had fifty thousand to-morrow. And engaged to Gwendolen
is he? I wonder if I can put an end to that. If she were my wife I might even
win the old man round again."

Then his mind reverted to his immediate difficulties, and he went over
the old useless ground of trying to think of some way to raise the wind,
failing once more to see any light at all, as indeed he was bound to fail,
since honest work did not come into his most casual consideration.

It was not, however, until he found himself in his chambers in Jermyn

Street that he fully realised how he had come to the end of all things. There
were invitations awaiting him which he could not accept for lack of ready
money; little accounts which he would have been only too glad to hand over
to his uncle if he had remembered their existence; all insignificant enough
individually, but totalling up to a considerable sum; private tips from
hangers-on at stables, which were certain to be good since he could not
avail himself of them; letters from women suggesting trips up the river or
supper after the play; even letters from friends saying they were hard up,
and reminding him of small obligations under which he lay to them.
Melville felt as if he were at last at bay, with all his worries like so many
starving wolves tearing him down to his destruction. And worse than all
was the extreme physical reaction from the unwholesome life of excitement
he had lately been leading at Monte Carlo. While that life lasted no fatigue
oppressed him. A tumbler of champagne or a stiff pick-me-up from a
chemist always availed to keep him going. But now the excitement was
over. The curtain was rung down, the lights were all turned out, he was
alone with his troubles, and had no pluck left to face them. In sheer
weariness he turned into bed and slept the sleep of deep exhaustion.

CHAPTER II.

THE BEST THING IN THE WORLD.

Even while Melville, with despair gnawing at his heart, was speeding on
his journey back to England, Sir Geoffrey Holt was keeping festival at
Fairbridge Manor. That very evening he had given a final dinner party to
celebrate the betrothal of his god-child, Gwendolen Austen, to his favourite
nephew, Ralph Ashley.

In the whole of a land which is proud to claim as its children so many

fair women and brave men, it would be difficult to find a fairer woman or a
braver man than now engrossed Sir Geoffrey's thoughts, and in their
approaching union he looked to see the culmination of his own happiness. It
was infinitely pleasant to know that the two, over whose lives he had
watched so tenderly, would never leave him now, but hand-in-hand would
walk in quiet contentment by his side, lightening the burden of his
increasing years, and giving him fresh pleasure in their own unfolding joys.
No man could ever hope to win richer reward for his unfailing goodness to
others than Sir Geoffrey was reaping now for his long care of this boy and
girl.

So he threw wide his hospitable doors, and asked the county to come
and shower congratulations upon the happy couple. For a week he kept
open house, and his pleasure was so apparent, his high spirits so contagious,
that he made himself loved the more by his unaffected delight and his
manner of displaying it. To his succession of dinner parties practically the
entire county came, until both Ralph and Gwendolen were at a loss to find
fresh ways of saying, "Thank you," for so many expressions of goodwill.

But this evening had brought the entertainments to a close, and when Sir
Geoffrey, standing by his open door, had bade the latest guest good-bye, he
turned with a sigh of satisfaction into the great hall where his children, as he
called them, were laughing over some incident which had amused them
during the day.

Sir Geoffrey pulled his god-daughter towards him and held her face
between his hands.

"The last guest gone," he said, smiling at her; "now, Gwen, confess you
are not sorry."

"I didn't know there was so much kindness in the world," she answered,
smiling back at him, and her eyes were shining; "but I confess I am glad we
are all by ourselves again."

"Tired?" he asked.

"Not a bit," she answered brightly; "unless it be of seeming to occupy so

much attention."

"And you don't want to go to bed?"

"Indeed, no," she said indignantly. "When one is as happy as I am it

would be a shame to spend a single hour asleep."
 "Then let us go down to the house-boat," Sir Geoffrey said. "I daresay
Ralph can manage to amuse you somehow, and I want to talk to your
mother."

"Do you want to talk to me, Ralph?" said Gwendolen, turning to her
lover, who was looking at her with affectionate pride.

"I don't seem to have had a chance of talking to you for a week," Ralph
answered promptly. "Let's go at once and—and get a deck chair ready for
your mother."

Sir Geoffrey chuckled.

"An admirable reason for both of you hurrying away. Ralph is too weak
to move one by himself; you must help him, Gwendolen."

Ralph put a wrap round Gwendolen, and, linking her arm in his, went
through the French window across the garden.

It was a glorious night. A full moon shed a mellow splendour across the
lawns, throwing the masses of the cedars into bold relief against the sky,
and glinting in all the diamond panes of the heavy-leaded windows. Over
the phloxes and tobacco plants that adorned the borders great moths were
wheeling, and bats were flickering in and out of the plantation that screened
the stables from the house. As the garden sloped towards the river the turf
was more closely shaven, and along the water's edge were sunk pots in
which magnificent geraniums and sweet heliotrope were growing.

Moored by the extreme boundary of the garden Ralph's house-boat lay;

it contained a little bedroom and two sitting-rooms, fragrant with flowers
and light with mirrors and thin curtains, and the upper part, covered in with
a pale green awning, was a mass of flowers and palms. Here were deck
chairs, and little tables, and Japanese lanterns.

Ralph put two chairs ready for Mrs. Austen and Sir Geoffrey, and then
looked at Gwendolen.
 "Shall we wait here for them, or would you like me to punt you up the
stream?"

"Let us stay here," she answered; "somehow——"

"Yes?" he said enquiringly.

"Somehow I fancy the others will not come," she said, rippling with
laughter. "Sir Geoffrey is always so thoughtful."

Ralph took her in his arms and kissed her passionately.

"I love you—I love you," he said, between set teeth, and Gwendolen
drew a sigh of perfect content. "If it could always be like this," he went on.
"Just you and I in the peace, with the river and the moonlight to reflect our
happiness."

But Gwendolen shook her head.

"You would soon tire of that," she said, and when he would have
demurred laid her hand upon his lips. "I hope you would, at any rate, for I
would not like you to be a lotos-eater dreaming your days away. There is so
much to do in the world, Ralph, and surely we, to whom so much has been
given, would not wish to give nothing in return."

He kissed the hand that caressed him.

"Tell me what I am to do."

Gwendolen considered.

"It is not easy to see just at first," she admitted, "but work, like charity,
begins at home. You will be a good master to your household, and will take
an active interest in the estate. You will be so anxious to make the tenants
happier in their respective stations that you will be surprised to find how
many things go to make up their lives. Life is a big bundle of little things,
you know, not a little bundle of big ones. If you really set your heart upon
doing good you will never stop for lack of something to do. That is a
wonderful thought, Ralph: there is no end to the good you can do in the
world."

"Go on," he said tenderly; "go on, dear, good little woman!"

"That is only thinking of your life at home," said Gwendolen; "but there
are wider interests outside. I should like you to make a name for yourself in
the great world; it might be in philanthropy, it might be in politics. I'm often
sorry you have no profession, but the world has always need of good men,
and I won't let you hold wool for me while the world wants one pair of
honest hands. Oh! Ralph, wouldn't that be more worth while than idling
your life away, even if it could always be like this?"

"Much more worth while," he answered gravely. "You have made me

happy; you will make me good; you may make me famous. That is a great
deal for one little woman to do for a man. What am I to do in return for
you?"

"Only love me," she said. "Love me always as you do now; never any
less tenderly or truly, even when the other interests are nearer than they are
to-night. What more can you do than give me love—the best thing in the
world?"

"I think I may safely promise that," Ralph said, and his deep voice
quivered. What had he done that Providence should heap blessings on him
so lavishly? For what had already been bestowed upon him he could never
show sufficient gratitude, and now there was the crowning gift of all—the
love of a pure and beautiful girl, whom he knew he had loved all his life.

Gwendolen lay back in one of the deck chairs, and Ralph, leaning
against the wooden railing, feasted his eyes upon the picture that she made.
In a dress of white mousseline-de-soie, trimmed with rare point lace, she
looked ethereally beautiful in this setting of coloured lamps and lovely
flowers. Her hands were clasped upon her lap, and the moonlight caught the
diamonds in the ring that he had given her, and even sought out the little
diamond drop that did duty as an earring. Against the scarlet cushions on
which she reclined her fair skin showed like ivory, and Ralph was filled
with something akin to amazement that this incarnation of all that was