m a
second time, treated him as though he were dirt, dared even to make
dastardly insinuations. Across Archie's miserable mind came Adelle's
confused words about her property belonging to the stone mason--a half
of it. He had explained this at the time as due to the shock and a
woman's sentimental feeling of gratitude, but now he began to give it
another and more sinister interpretation. What had she been doing up at
this fellow's shack that afternoon? It hardly seemed possible, but
unfortunately in Archie's set, even among the very best people socially
of Bellevue, almost anything in the way of sex aberration was possible.
He started back for the orangery, but before he got there he realized
that it would be just as well not to approach his wife at this time with
what he had in mind. Lying there with her dead child in her arms she had
the air of a wounded wild animal that might be aroused to a dangerous
fury. He had the sense to see that even if his worst suspicions were
justified, it was hardly the moment to exact his social rights.

So he wandered back to the ruin of Highcourt, where he found condoling
friends, who took him off to the country club and kept him there, and it
is to be feared provided him with his usual consolation for the manifold
contrarieties of life, even for the very rich.

XLIV

In due time Adelle roused herself and took direction of affairs. She
went down to the manager's cottage near the gate of Highcourt and
thither brought the body of her child. From this cottage the little boy
was buried on the next day. Adelle directed that the grave should be
prepared among the tall eucalyptus trees on the hillside behind the
ruins--there where she had often played with the little fellow. She
herself carried the body to its small grave and laid it tenderly away in
the earth, being the only one to touch it since the mason had first put
it lifeless in her arms. Then she scattered the first dirt upon the
still figure and turned away only when the flowers had been heaped high
over the little grave. Archie was there and a few of their friends from
Bellevue, as well as a group of servants, by whom Adelle had always been
liked; and among the latter was the stone mason. Adelle did not seem to
notice any one, and when all was over she walked off alone to the
manager's cottage.

Observing his wife's tragic calm, her bloodless face, Archie might well
have forgotten his suspicions and refrained from attacki