before you did; but they did not speak to each
other, not one word."

Lavender was in one sense pleased to hear this. He liked to hear that
his wife was obedient to him. But, he said to himself with a sharp
twinge of conscience, she was carrying her obedience too far. He had
never meant that she should not even speak to her old friend. He would
show Sheila that he was not unreasonable. He would talk to her about
it as soon as he got home, and in as kindly a way as was possible.

Mosenberg did not play billiards, but they remained late in the
billiard-room, Lavender playing pool, and getting out of it rather
successfully. He could not speak to Sheila that night, but next
morning, before going out, he did.

"Sheila," he said, "Mosenberg told me last night that you met Mr.
Ingram and did not speak to him. Now, I didn't mean anything like
that. You must not think me unreasonable. All I want is, that he shall
not interfere with our affairs and try to raise some unpleasantness
between you and me, such as might arise from the interference of even
the kindest of friends. When you meet him outside or at any one's
house, I hope you will speak to him just as usual."

Sheila replied calmly, "If I am not allowed to receive Mr. Ingram
here, I cannot treat him as a friend elsewhere. I would rather not
have friends whom I can only speak to in the streets."

"Very well," said Lavender, wincing under the rebuke, but fancying
that she would soon repent her of this resolve. In the mean time, if
she would have it so, she should have it so.

So that was an end of this question of Mr. Ingram's interference for
the present. But very soon--in a couple of days, indeed--Lavender
perceived the change that had been wrought in the house in Holland
Park to which he had been accustomed to resort.

"Cecilia," Mrs. Kavanagh had said on Ingram's leaving, "you must not
be rude to Mr. Lavender." She knew the perfect independence of that
gentle young lady, and was rather afraid it might carry her too far.

"Of course I shall not be, mamma," Mrs. Lorraine had said. "Did
you ever hear of such a courageous act as that man coming up to two
strangers and challenging them, all on behalf of a girl married to
some one else? You know that was the meaning of his visit. He thought
I was flirting with Mr. Lavender and keeping him from his wife. I
wonder how many men there are in London who would have walked twenty
yards to help in such a matter?'

"My dear,