nt assurance: "Now, my
dear Sohlberg, what is it I can say? What is it you wish me to do? My
wife has made a lot of groundless charges, to say nothing of injuring
your wife most seriously and shamefully. I cannot tell you, as I have
said, how sorry I am. I assure you Mrs. Cowperwood is suffering from a
gross illusion. There is absolutely nothing to do, nothing to say, so
far as I can see, but to let the whole matter drop. Don't you agree
with me?"

Harold was twisting mentally in the coils of a trying situation. His
own position, as he knew, was not formidable. Rita had reproached him
over and over for infidelity. He began to swell and bluster at once.

"That is all very well for you to say, Mr. Cowperwood," he commented,
defiantly, "but how about me? Where do I come in? I daunt know what to
theenk yet. It ees very strange. Supposing what your wife sais was
true? Supposing my wife has been going around weeth some one? That ees
what I want to find out. Eef she has! Eef eet is what I theenk it ees
I shall--I shall--I daunt know what I shall do. I am a very violent
man."

Cowperwood almost smiled, concerned as he was over avoiding publicity;
he had no fear of Sohlberg physically.

"See here," he exclaimed, suddenly, looking sharply at the musician and
deciding to take the bull by the horns, "you are in quite as delicate a
situation as I am, if you only stop to think. This affair, if it gets
out, will involve not only me and Mrs. Cowperwood, but yourself and
your wife, and if I am not mistaken, I think your own affairs are not
in any too good shape. You cannot blacken your wife without blackening
yourself--that is inevitable. None of us is exactly perfect. For
myself I shall be compelled to prove insanity, and I can do this
easily. If there is anything in your past which is not precisely what
it should be it could not long be kept a secret. If you are willing to
let the matter drop I will make handsome provision for you both; if,
instead, you choose to make trouble, to force this matter into the
daylight, I shall leave no stone unturned to protect myself, to put as
good a face on this matter as I can."

"What!" exclaimed Sohlberg. "You threaten me? You try to frighten me
after your wife charges that you have been running around weeth my
wife? You talk about my past! I like that. Haw! We shall see about
dis! What is it you knaw about me?"

"Well, Mr. Sohlberg," rejoined Cowperwood, calmly, "I know, f