given him leave to go on--because
she feared--yes, knew--that if she tried to interfere he would take it
as evidence that they could not get on together. What a man!

* * * * *

But there was more to come that day. As he was finishing dressing for
dinner his sister Ursula knocked. "May I come, Frederick?" she said.

"Sure," he cried. "I'm fixing my tie."

Ursula, in a gown that displayed the last possible--many of the
homelier women said impossible--inch of her beautiful shoulders, came
strolling sinuously in and seated herself on the arm of the divan. She
watched him, in his evening shirt, as he with much struggling did his
tie. "How young you do look, Fred!" said she. "Especially in just that
much clothes. Not a day over thirty."

"I'm not exactly a nonogenarian," retorted he.

"But usually your face--in spite of its smoothness and no wrinkles--has
a kind of an old young--or do I mean young old?--look. You've led such a
serious life."

"Um. That's the devil of it."

"You're looking particularly young to-night."

"Same to you, Urse."

"No, I'm not bad for thirty-four. People half believe me when I say I'm
twenty-nine." She glanced complacently down at her softly glistening
shoulders. "I've still got my skin."

"And a mighty good one it is. Best I ever saw--except one."

She reflected a moment, then smiled. "I know it isn't Josephine's. Hers
is good but not notable. Eyes and teeth are her strongholds. I suppose
it's--the other lady's."

"Exactly."

"I mean the one in Jersey City."

He went on brushing his hair with not a glance at the bomb she had
exploded under his very nose.

"You're a cool one," she said admiringly.

"Cool?"

"I thought you'd jump. I'm sure you never dreamed I knew."

He slid into his white waistcoat and began to button it.

"Though you might know I'd find out," she went on, "when everyone's
talking."

"Everyone's always talking," said he indifferently.

"And they rattle on to beat the band when they get a chance at a man
like you. Do you know what they're saying?"

"Certainly. Loosen these straps in the back of my waistcoat--the upper
ones, won't you?"

[Illustration: "She glanced complacently down at her softly glistening
shoulders."]

As she fussed with the buckles she said: "But you don't know that they
say you're going to pieces--neglecting your cases--keeping away from
your office--wasting about half of your day with your lady lov