l of us. Harry set down his glass, and the clink on
the silver tray sounded loud. None moved but Doctor Bond, who, glasses
upon nose, bent over the blurred hide, studying it.

"Colonel Sheraton," said he at length, "it seems to me that we have no
quarrel here among ourselves. We all want to do what is best done now to
make amends for what has not always been best done. Mr. Cowles has given
every proof we could ask--we could not ask more of any man--you have no
right to ask so much. He wishes, at great cost to himself, I think, to
do what he can to save your girl's happiness and honor. He admits his
own fault." He looked at me, savagely shaking a finger, but went on.

"Perhaps I, a physician, unfortunately condemned to see much of the
inner side of human nature, am as well equipped as any to call him more
guiltless than society might call him. I say with him, let him who is
without guilt first cast a stone. Few of us are all we ought to be, but
why? We speak of double lives--why, we all lead double lives--the entire
world leads a double life; that of sex and of society, that of nature
and of property. I say to you, gentlemen, that all the world is double.
So let us be careful how we adjudge punishment; and let us be as fair to
our neighbor as we are to ourselves. This is only the old, old question
of love and the law.

"But wait a minute--" he raised a hand as Colonel Sheraton stirred. "I
have something else to say. As it chances, I am curious in other
professions than my own sometimes--I read in the law sometimes, again in
theology, literature. I wish to be an educated man so far as I may be,
since a university education was denied me. Now, I say to you, from my
reading in the law, a strong question arises whether the two who wrote
this covenant of marriage are not at this moment _man and wife_!" He
rapped a finger on the parchment.

A sigh broke in concert from all within that room. The next moment, I
know not how, we were all four of us bending above the scroll. "See
there," went on the old doctor. "There is a definite, mutual promise, a
consideration moving from each side, the same consideration in each
case, the promise from each bearing the same intent and value, and
having the same qualifying clauses. The contract is definite; it is
dated. It is evidently the record of a unanimous intent, an identical
frame of mind between the two making it at that time. It is signed and
sealed in full by one party, no doubt in