up
again.

Ramon was tremulous with a half-acknowledged anticipation, but he held
himself strongly in hand. He felt that he had an advantage over her--that
he was more at ease and she less so than at any previous meeting--and he
meant to keep it.

But she was rapidly regaining her composure, and took refuge in a rather
formal manner.

"Are you going to be here long?" she enquired in the conventional tone of
mock-interest.

"Just a week or so on business," he explained, determined not to be
outpointed in the game. "I had to come some time this spring, and when I
got your note I thought I would come while you are here."

"But I'll be here the rest of my life probably. This is where I live. You
ought to have come when my husband was here. I'd like to have you meet
him. As it is, I can't see much of you, of course.{~HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS~}"

He refused to be put out by this coldness, but tried to strike a more
intimate note.

"Tell me about your marriage," he asked. "Are you really happy?{~HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS~} Do you
like it?"

She looked at the floor gravely.

"You shouldn't ask that, of course," she reproved. "Everyone who has just
been married is very, very happy.{~HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS~} No, I don't like it a darn bit."

"It's not what you expected, then."

"I don't know what I expected, but from the way people talk about it and
write about it you would certainly think it was something wonderful--love
and passion and bliss and all that, I mean. I feel that I've either been
lied to or cheated {~HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS~} of course," she added with a little side glance at
him, "I didn't exactly love my husband.{~HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS~}" She blushed and looked down
again; then laughed softly and rather joyfully for a lady with a broken
heart.

"If mother could only hear me now!" she observed.{~HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS~} "She'd faint. I don't
care.{~HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS~} That's just the way I feel.{~HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS~} I don't care! All my life I've been
trained and groomed and prepared for the grand and glorious event of
marriage. I've been taught it's the most wonderful thing that can happen
to anyone. That's what all the books say, and all the people I know. And
here it turns out to be a most uncomfortable bore.{~HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS~}"

He looked gravely sympathetic.

"Do you think it would have been different with--someone you did love?" he
enquired cautiously.

She gave him another quick thrilling glance.

"I do