nds; fear, others. But there are always those in whom the
chemistry and physics of life are large, and in whom neither dogma nor
fear is operative. Society lifts its hands in horror; but from age
to age the Helens, the Messalinas, the Du Barrys, the Pompadours, the
Maintenons, and the Nell Gwyns flourish and point a freer basis of
relationship than we have yet been able to square with our lives.

These two felt unutterably bound to each other. Cowperwood, once he came
to understand her, fancied that he had found the one person with whom he
could live happily the rest of his life. She was so young, so confident,
so hopeful, so undismayed. All these months since they had first begun
to reach out to each other he had been hourly contrasting her with his
wife. As a matter of fact, his dissatisfaction, though it may be said to
have been faint up to this time, was now surely tending to become real
enough. Still, his children were pleasing to him; his home beautiful.
Lillian, phlegmatic and now thin, was still not homely. All these years
he had found her satisfactory enough; but now his dissatisfaction with
her began to increase. She was not like Aileen--not young, not vivid,
not as unschooled in the commonplaces of life. And while ordinarily, he
was not one who was inclined to be querulous, still now on occasion,
he could be. He began by asking questions concerning his wife's
appearance--irritating little whys which are so trivial and yet so
exasperating and discouraging to a woman. Why didn't she get a mauve
hat nearer the shade of her dress? Why didn't she go out more? Exercise
would do her good. Why didn't she do this, and why didn't she do that?
He scarcely noticed that he was doing this; but she did, and she felt
the undertone--the real significance--and took umbrage.

"Oh, why--why?" she retorted, one day, curtly. "Why do you ask so many
questions? You don't care so much for me any more; that's why. I can
tell."

He leaned back startled by the thrust. It had not been based on any
evidence of anything save his recent remarks; but he was not absolutely
sure. He was just the least bit sorry that he had irritated her, and he
said so.

"Oh, it's all right," she replied. "I don't care. But I notice that you
don't pay as much attention to me as you used to. It's your business
now, first, last, and all the time. You can't get your mind off of
that."

He breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't suspect, then.

But after a li