"Not till he has won--earned them--in war, in conquest! Perhaps
conquest of himself."
[Illustration: "To the victor does not always belong the spoils."]
"You speak in enigmas for me, my dear Countess."
She shook her head slowly, from side to side. "That poor girl!
Did she ever feel she had been won in the real game, I wonder? To
whom would belong herself--if she felt that she had something in
her own life to forget, some great thing to be done, in penance
perhaps, in eagerness perhaps, some step to take, up--something to
put her into a higher plane in the scheme of life? To do
something, for some one else--not just to be selfish--suppose that
was in her heart; after that game?"
"Why, you read her story as though you saw it! That was her life,
absolutely. Never lived a woman more respected there, more loved.
She disarmed even the women, old and young--yes, even the single
ones!"
"It is an odd world," she said slowly. "But"--drawing back--"I do
not think I will go back to Europe.
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