He knew that Justine
had thought well of him, and now he knew also that she suspected
something not creditable or, at least, hazardous in his life.

"And the man--the man whom the woman hates?"

"When the woman hates--and loves too, the man is in danger."

"Do you know of such a man?" he almost shrinkingly said.

"If I did I would say to him, The world is wide. There is no glory in
fighting a woman who will not be fair in battle. She will say what
may appear to be true, but what she knows in her own heart to be
false--false and bad."

Roscoe now saw that Justine had more than an inkling of his story.

He said calmly: "You would advise that man to flee from danger?"

"Yes, to flee," she replied hurriedly, with a strange anxiety in her
eyes; "for sometimes a woman is not satisfied with words that kill. She
becomes less than human, and is like Jael."

Justine knew that Mrs. Falchion held a sword over Roscoe's career; she
guessed that Mrs. Falchion both cared for him and hated him too; but
she did not know the true reason of the hatred--that only came out
afterwards. Woman-like, she exaggerated in order that she might move
him; but her motive was good, and what she said was not out of keeping
with the facts of life.

"The man's life even might be in danger?" he asked.

"It might."

"But surely that is not so dreadful," he still said calmly.

"Death is not the worst of evils."

"No, not the worst; one has to think of the evil word as well. The evil
word can be outlived; but the man must think of those who really love
him--who would die to save him--and whose hearts would break if he
were killed. Love can outlive slander, but it is bitter when it has to
outlive both slander and death. It is easy to love with joy so long as
both live, though there are worlds between. Thoughts fly and meet; but
Death makes the great division.... Love can only live in the pleasant
world."

Very abstractedly he said: "Is it a pleasant world to you?"

She did not reply directly to that, but answered: "Monsieur, if you know
of such a man as I speak of, warn him to fly." And she raised her eyes
from the ground and looked earnestly at him. Now her face was slightly
flushed, she looked almost beautiful.

"I know of such a man," he replied, "but he will not go. He has to
answer to his own soul and his conscience. He is not without fear, but
it is only fear for those who care for him, be they ever so few. And
he hopes that they will