Also that in acting as she had in running
away with Archie, she had displayed the first real gleam of character in
her whole life. But she could not put these things into words. So she
let Mr. Smith continue without protest, which was the best way.

"As for the husband you have chosen, I know nothing about him of course.
I can only say that men of standing have slight regard for any man who
takes advantage of the weakness and folly of a school-girl, especially
when he has everything to gain financially from her and nothing to
give."

Archie winced at this truthful statement and nervously dropped a palette
with which he had been fussing. It clattered to the floor and broke,
setting the nerves of all three on edge.

"Such a man," Mr. Smith proceeded in his most acid tones, glaring at
Archie, "is properly called an adventurer, and rarely if ever proves to
have character enough to retain the respect of the woman he has wheedled
into sacrificing herself."

This was a bit unfair, for Archie had been wheedled rather than wheedled
Adelle. Moreover, the world is full, as Mr. Smith must surely know, of
young men who have committed matrimony with girls financially to their
advantage and who have retained not only their own self-respect, but won
the admiration of their acquaintances into the bargain for their skill
and good luck.

And Adelle resented the slur for Archie even more than the young man
did. She felt vaguely that Archie ought to do something to demonstrate
that he was not a worthless character, possibly kick Mr. Smith out of
the studio, at least protest at being called a "cad" and "adventurer."
But Archie took it all meekly and busied himself with recovering the
pieces of the broken palette from the floor. Mr. Smith did not press his
dialectic advantage; in other words, did not specifically hit Archie
again. Perhaps a human compunction, for the sake of the young girl who
had just rashly hazarded her life's happiness with the young man,
restrained him. He turned instead again to Adelle in a gentler tone.

"I feel sincerely sorry for you, Mrs. Davis. A young woman in your
position, without family or near friends to shield her, is exposed to
all the evil selfishness of the world. You have succumbed, I am afraid,
to a delusion, although the trust company did its best to supply your
lack of natural protectors, to shield you."

He reflected, perhaps, that the trust company had been, even from the
easy American standar