In the lower streets a large part of the world was under the
influence of drink, but by this Shelton was far from being troubled. It
seemed better than Drama, than dressing-bagged men, unruffled women, and
padded points of view, better than the immaculate solidity of his
friend's possessions.

"So," he reflected, "it's right for every reason, social, religious, and
convenient, to inflict one's society where it's not desired. There are
obviously advantages about the married state; charming to feel
respectable while you're acting in a way that in any other walk of life
would bring on you contempt. If old Halidome showed that he was tired of
me, and I continued to visit him, he'd think me a bit of a cad; but if
his wife were to tell him she couldn't stand him, he'd still consider
himself a perfect gentleman if he persisted in giving her the burden of
his society; and he has the cheek to bring religion into it--a religion
that says, 'Do unto others!'"

But in this he was unjust to Halidome, forgetting how impossible it was
for him to believe that a woman could not stand him. He reached his
rooms, and, the more freely to enjoy the clear lamplight, the soft, gusty
breeze, and waning turmoil of the streets, waited a moment before
entering.

"I wonder," thought he, "if I shall turn out a cad when I marry, like
that chap in the play. It's natural. We all want our money's worth, our
pound of flesh! Pity we use such fine words--'Society, Religion,
Morality.' Humbug!"

He went in, and, throwing his window open, remained there a long time,
his figure outlined against the lighted room for the benefit of the dark
square below, his hands in his pockets, his head down, a reflective frown
about his eyes. A half-intoxicated old ruffian, a policeman, and a man
in a straw hat had stopped below, and were holding a palaver.

"Yus," the old ruffian said, "I'm a rackety old blank; but what I say is,
if we wus all alike, this would n't be a world!"

They went their way, and before the listener's eyes there rose Antonia's
face, with its unruffled brow; Halidome's, all health and dignity; the
forehead of the goggle-eyed man, with its line of hair parted in the
centre, and brushed across. A light seemed to illumine the plane of
their existence, as the electric lamp with the green shade had illumined
the pages of the Matthew Arnold; serene before Shelton's vision lay that
Elysium, untouched by passion or extremes of any kind, autocr