oked so forlorn that he felt as if he must take her in his arms.
When she spoke it was to say dubiously: "Back to New York--to keep
house for my brother--perhaps."

"And when his wife frees herself and he marries again--where will you
go?"

Gladys lifted a fold of her cape and drew it about her as if she were
cold. But he noted that it hid her face from him.

"You want--you need--a home? So do I," he went on tranquilly. "You are
tired of wandering? So am I. You are bored with parade and
parade--people? So am I. You wish freedom, not bondage, when you
marry? I refuse to be bound, and I don't wish to bind any one. We
have the same friends, the same tastes, have had pretty much the same
experiences. You don't want to be married for your money. I'm not
likely to be suspected of doing that sort of thing."

"Some one has said that rich men marry more often for money than poor
men," interrupted Gladys. And then she colored as she recalled who had
said it.

Langdon noted her color as he noted every point in any game he was
playing; he shrewdly guessed its origin. "When Scarborough told you
that," he replied calmly, "he told you a great truth. But please
remember, I merely said I shouldn't be SUSPECTED of marrying you for
money. I didn't say I wasn't guilty."

"Is your list of reasons complete?"

"Two more the clinchers. You are disappointed in love--so am I. You
need consolation--so do I. When one can't have the best one takes the
best one can get, if one is sensible. It has been known to turn out
not so badly."

They once more lay back watching the clouds. An hour passed without
either's speaking. The deck-steward brought them tea and biscuits
which he declined and she accepted. She tried the big, hard, tasteless
disk between her strong white teeth, then said with a sly smile: "You
pried into my secret a few minutes ago. I'm going to pry into yours.
Who was she?"

"As the lady would have none of me, there's no harm in confessing,"
replied Langdon, carelessly. "She was--and is--and--" he looked at
her--"ever shall be, world without end--Gladys Dumont."

Gladys gasped and glanced at him with swift suspicion that he was
jesting. He returned her glance in a calm, matter-of-fact way. She
leaned back in her chair and they watched the slippery rail slide up
and down against the background of chilly, rainy sea and sky.

"Are you asleep?" he asked after a long silence.

"No," she replied. "I was