was shaken
by this appeal. At last, now that she had lost her husband, she was
beginning to realise how very much she loved him. Reggie Forsyth would
be a more or less impartial witness.

Late that evening, in a hooded rickshaw she crossed the short distance
which led to the Embassy. Mr. Forsyth had just arrived.

Mr. Forsyth was very displeased to hear Mrs. Barrington announced. It
was just the kind of meeting which would exasperate and unnerve him.

Her appearance was against her. She wore a Japanese kimono,
unpleasantly reminiscent of Yae. Her hair was disordered and
frantic-looking. Her eyes were red with weeping.

"Let me say at once," observed Reggie, as he offered her a chair,
"that I am in no way responsible for your husband's shortcomings. I
have too many of my own."

Asako could never understand Reggie when he talked in that sarcastic
tone.

"I want to know exactly what happened," she begged. "I have no one
else who can tell me."

"Your husband says that nothing actually happened," replied Reggie
brutally.

The girl realised that this statement was far from being the
vindication of Geoffrey which she had begun to hope for.

"But what did you actually see?" she asked.

"I saw Miss Smith with your husband. As it was in my house, they might
have asked my leave first."

Asako shivered.

"But do you think Geoffrey had been--love-making to Miss Smith?"

"I don't know," said Reggie wearily. "From what I heard, I think Miss
Smith was doing most of the love-making to Geoffrey; but he did not
seem to object to the process."

Asako's yearnings for proof of her husband's innocence were crushed.

"What shall I do?" she pleaded.

"I'm sure I don't know." This scene to Reggie was becoming positively
silly. "Take him back to England as soon as possible, I should think."

"But would he fall in love with women in England?"

"Possibly."

"Then what am I to do?"

"Grin and bear it. That's what we all have to do."

"Oh, Mr. Forsyth," Asako implored, "you know my husband so well. Do
you think he is a bad man?"

"No, not worse than the rest of us," answered Reggie, who felt quite
maddened by this talk. "He is a bit of a fool, and a good deal of a
blunderer."

"But do you think Geoffrey was to blame for what happened?"

"I have told you, my dear Mrs. Barrington, that your husband assured
me that nothing actually happened. I am quite sure this is true, for
your husband is a very honourable man--in deta