"Yes. But tell me again. Tell me explicitly."

"I'm afraid," said Esther, "of him."

"Of your husband? If that's it, say it."

"I'm afraid of Jeff. He's been in here. I told you so. He took hold of
me. He dragged me by my wrists. Alston, how can you make me tell you!"

The appeal sickened him. He got up and walked away to the mantel where
the candles were, and stood there leaning against the shelf. He heard
her catch her breath, and knew she was near sobs. He came back to his
chair, and his voice had resumed so much of its judicial tone that her
breath grew stiller in accord.

"Esther," said he, "you'd better tell me everything."

"I can't," said she, "everything. You are--" the rest came in a
startling gush of words--"you are the last man I could tell."

It was a confession, a surrender, and he felt the tremendous weight of
it. Was he the last man she could tell? Was she then, poor child,
withholding herself from him as he, in decency, was aloof from her? He
pulled himself together.

"Perhaps I can't do anything for you," he said, "in my own person. But I
can see that other people do. I can see that you have counsel."

"Alston," said she, in what seemed to him a beautiful simplicity, "why
can't you do anything for me?"

This was so divinely childlike and direct that he had to tell her.

"Esther, don't you see? If you have grounds for action against your
husband, could I be the man to try your case? Could I? When you have
just said I am the last man you could tell? I can't get you a
divorce----" he stopped there. He couldn't possibly add, "and then marry
you afterward."

"I see," said Esther, yet raging against him inwardly. "You can't help
me."

"I can help you," said Alston. "But you must be frank with me. I must
know whether you have any case at all. Now answer me quite simply and
plainly. Does Jeff support you?"

"Oh, no," said Esther.

"He gives you no money whatever?"

"None."

"Then he's a bigger rascal than I've been able to think him."

"I believe----" said Esther, and stopped.

"What do you believe?"

"I think the money must come from his father. He sends it to me."

"Then there is money?"

"Why, yes," said Esther irritably, "there's some money, or how could I
live?"

"But you told me there was none."

"How do you think I could live here with grandmother and expect her to
dress me? Grandmother's very old. She doesn't see the need of things."

"It isn't a question of what you c