repress a smile, for it was quite evident either that

it was impossible to perceive a soul, or else that he

possessed one.

"Just how do you distinguish the possessor of a soul?"

he asked.

The girl cast a quick glance up at him.

"You are making fun of me," she said.

"Not at all," he replied. "I am just curious as to how

souls make themselves apparent. I have seen men kill

one another as beasts kill. I have seen one who was

cruel to those within his power, yet they were all men

with souls. I have seen eleven soulless monsters die

to save the daughter of a man whom they believed had

wronged them terribly--a man with a soul. How then

am I to know what attributes denote the possession

of the immortal spark? How am I to know whether

or not I possess a soul?"

Virginia smiled.

"You are courageous and honorable and chivalrous--

those are enough to warrant the belief that you have a soul,

were it not apparent from your countenance that you are

of the higher type of mankind," she said.

"I hope that you will never change your opinion of me,

Virginia," said the man; but he knew that there lay

before her a severe shock, and before him a great

sorrow when they should come to where her father

was and the girl should learn the truth concerning him.

That he did not himself tell her may be forgiven him,

for he had only a life of misery to look forward

to after she should know that he, too, was equally

a soulless monster with the twelve that had preceded him

to a merciful death. He would have envied them but

for the anticipation of the time that he might be alone

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