t they opened, but no one never came out.

'I'll take you to my lawyer,' said Julia, at last, with a fat sob.

'I want no lawyers,' snapped Clara defiantly. 'Charles hates that
woman and she knows it. She won't try to get him back.'

'Yes. But she won't stand you're being with him.'

'Then I'll live alone, and help Charles in my own way.'

'Help yourself first, lovey; then you can help other people.'

'I don't believe it. If you help yourself, you are kept so busy doing
it that you don't know the other people are there.'

Of course Julia told Freeland, and in the morning he came tapping at
Clara's door. She admitted him. His rather faded, handsome face wore
a very serious expression, more serious indeed than was warranted
either by the feeling in his heart or the thought in his head. It was
a very serious situation, and he had assumed the appropriate manner....
Clara had slept soundly, and her fund of healthy good spirits made it
possible for her to regard the whole complication as, in itself, rather
superficial. The sun was shining in upon the mirror of her
dressing-table, upon her silver brushes, upon the portrait of Julia in
a silver frame, and upon the new frock which had come only the day
before from the dressmaker. With the sun shining, and the eager
thought of Charles in her heart, Clara could have no anxiety. No
problem was insoluble, no obstacle, she believed, could be
irresistible. Therefore she smiled as Freeland came in treading more
heavily than his wont. He stood and looked down at her.

'It's a bad business, kid,' he said, 'a bad, bad business.'

'Is it?'

'He has ruined your life. I feel like shooting him.'

'That wouldn't help me.'

'Can't you see how serious it is? You're neither married nor
unmarried.'

'Can't I be just Clara Day?'

Freeland was rather taken aback. He was used to Julia's taking her cue
from him. If a woman does not take the line proposed by the man in a
situation, a scene, where is he? And, in fact, Freeland did not know
where he was. His life had proceeded fairly smoothly from scene to
scene and he was not used to being pulled up.

'No, no, kid,' he protested. 'It is too ghastly. Your position is
impossible. Charles, damn him, can't protect you. The world is hard
and cruel.... A man can play the lone hand, but I never heard of its
being done by a woman: never.'

'I'm going to see Charles through,' said Clara, 'and you'll see how we
shall mak