hich was one essentially of indifference. But she was not so dull but
what she could see that the consideration in his voice had been brought
about by his defeat, which meant hers also. She choked a little--and
even so was touched. The bare suggestion of sympathy brought back the
old days so definitely gone forever. If only they could be brought back!

"I don't want you to feel distressed about me, though," he went on,
before she could say anything to him. "I'm not through with my fighting.
I'll get out of this. I have to go to prison, it seems, in order to get
things straightened out properly. What I would like you to do is to keep
up a cheerful appearance in front of the rest of the family--father and
mother particularly. They need to be cheered up." He thought once of
taking her hand, then decided not. She noted mentally his hesitation,
the great difference between his attitude now and that of ten or twelve
years before. It did not hurt her now as much as she once would have
thought. She looked at him, scarcely knowing what to say. There was
really not so much to say.

"Will you have to go soon, if you do have to go?" she ventured, wearily.

"I can't tell yet. Possibly to-night. Possibly Friday. Possibly not
until Monday. I'm waiting to hear from Steger. I expect him here any
minute."

To prison! To prison! Her Frank Cowperwood, her husband--the substance
of their home here--and all their soul destruction going to prison. And
even now she scarcely grasped why! She stood there wondering what she
could do.

"Is there anything I can get for you?" she asked, starting forward as if
out of a dream. "Do you want me to do anything? Don't you think perhaps
you had better leave Philadelphia, Frank? You needn't go to prison
unless you want to."

She was a little beside herself, for the first time in her life shocked
out of a deadly calm.

He paused and looked at her for a moment in his direct, examining way,
his hard commercial business judgment restored on the instant.

"That would be a confession of guilt, Lillian, and I'm not guilty,"
he replied, almost coldly. "I haven't done anything that warrants my
running away or going to prison, either. I'm merely going there to save
time at present. I can't be litigating this thing forever. I'll get
out--be pardoned out or sued out in a reasonable length of time. Just
now it's better to go, I think. I wouldn't think of running away from
Philadelphia. Two of five judges found