ful than ever."

The woman softly laughed.

"You see no change?"

"The only changes I see merely add to your power: the worldly wisdom
which marriage writes on every woman's face, a new strength, a warmth
and fascination and a conscious joy at which I wonder and rage."

"Why wonder and rage?"

She drew him gently to a seat by her side, leaned forward and gazed
smilingly at him.

Stuart was silent a moment and turned suddenly on her.

"Because Nan, when I look into your face to-night and see its joy, I
can't help thinking such happiness is a crime. I saw joy like that once
on the face of an Italian I defended and acquitted of murder. I
believed him innocent but when he was free he confessed to me his
guilt, confessed with such joy that I sprang on him and choked him into
silence."

"And you think of me as a murderess, Jim?"

"No, no, my dear little playmate, but when I see you to-night in all
this splendour so insolently happy----"

Nan sprang to her feet laughing.

"You are delicious to-night, Jim, and I'm so glad you are here. Come
into the art gallery. It will take you days to see it; we'll just peep
in to-night."

He followed her into a stately room packed with masterpieces of art;
gleaming marbles and sombre bronze in groups of bewildering beauty,
with every inch of wall-space crowded with canvases in massive gold
frames glowing with the soft radiance of concealed electric lights.

Stuart gazed a moment in rapture.

"You must spend days here, Jim. Now honestly, with all your high-browed
ideals, wouldn't you like to own this?"

"I wouldn't dare."

"Dare?"

"No. Not if I had the wealth of Croesus."

"Why not?"

"It's a crime to rob the world of these masterpieces of genius. They
should be the free inheritance and inspiration of all the children of
men. The humblest child of the street should own them because he is
human. The man who has the power to buy them, of all men, should give
to the people whose lives and toil gave him his power."

Nan gazed at Stuart in vague bewilderment and then a mischievous smile
crept into the corners of her mouth.

"You're trying to throw dust in my eyes, but I can tell you what you
are really thinking. Would you like to hear?"

"Very much."

"You are really wondering why the wicked prosper?"

The man remained silent while a look of deep seriousness overspread his
face.

"Confess!" Nan insisted. "Am I not right?"

"Absolutely wrong," he replied slowly