life-saver, Harleston.
You're much too fine a chap to waste yourself in foolishness."

"And all this," Harleston expostulated with mock solemnity, "because I
neglected to include a description of Mrs. Clephane."

"Neglected with deliberation. And with you that is more significant than
if you had detailed most minutely her manifold attractions. Look here,
Harleston, do you want this translation for yourself or for Mrs.
Clephane?"

"I want the translation because the Secretary of State wants it,"
Harleston replied quietly.

"Oh, don't become chilly," Carpenter returned good-naturedly. "If you
permit, I'll tell you something about a Mrs. Clephane--queer name
Clephane, and rather unusual--whom I used to see in Paris," glancing
languidly at Harleston, "several years ago. Want to hear it?"

"Sure!" said Harleston. "Drive on and keep driving. You won't drive over
me."

"It isn't a great deal," Carpenter went on, slowly tearing the consonant
collection into bits, "and perchance it wasn't your Mrs. Clephane; but
her name, and her beauty and charm, and Paris, and some other inferences
I drew, led me to suspect that--" He completed the sentence by a wave of
his hand. "She was Robert Clephane's wife--yes, I see in your face that
she is your Mrs. Clephane--and he led her a merry life, though if rumour
lied not she kept up with the pace he set. I saw her frequently and she
was as--well you have not overdrawn the 'reticence picture.' Shall I
continue?"

Harleston smiled and nodded.

"Doubtless you already know the tale," Carpenter remarked.

"I know only what Mrs. Clephane has told me," Harleston replied.

The Fifth Assistant Secretary picked up a ruler and sighted carefully
along the edge.

"I seem to be in wrong, old man," he said. "Please forget that I ever
said it or anything--you understand."

"My dear fellow, don't be an ass!" Harleston laughed. "I'm not sensitive
about the lady; I never saw her until last night."

"Quite long enough for a man disposed to make a fool of himself--if the
lady is a beauty."

"I'm disposed to hear more from you, if you care to tell me," Harleston
replied. "However, jesting aside, Carpenter, what do you know? Mrs.
Clephane is something of a puzzle to me, but I have concluded to accept
her story; yet I'm always open to conviction, and if I'm wrong now's the
time to enlighten me--the State comes first, you know."

"Are you viewing Mrs. Clephane simply as a circumstance in the affair