light-hearted little thing
into the bargain; but she's bound to turn out a disappointment to her
husband all the same."

"I don't see why," said Herrick after a moment's pause. "Lots of clever
men marry feather-headed women and manage to get along all right."

"Yes, but Owen's not that sort. He's a fellow who will want his wife to
be a companion, a real comrade, able to go forward side by side with
him, understand his aims, sympathize with his ideals and so on; and this
girl can't do it."

"But why are you so sure she can't, my boy? Probably she is very
different when alone with her husband. All women, as well as men, have
two soul-sides, you know--'one to face the world with'--the other----"

"Oh, that's Browning's view, of course, but then he was an idealist!"
Barry spoke rather impatiently. "No, Jim, there's not much hope of that.
I've made a study of the girl--I don't mind telling you I did my best to
prevent Rose marrying her--and I'm perfectly certain that as far as
anything beyond the merest good-fellowship goes, Rose might just as well
have married a Persian kitten."

"Yet she is fond of him--in her way?"

"Very, I should say; but even then there's an element of something which
shouldn't exist between husband and wife. There is a sort of quite
unconscious patronage on Rose's side which matches a pretty gratitude on
hers; and I have a horrible fear that if ever he found her wanting--and
showed her so--she would break her heart."

"Oh! Then you don't deny her a heart?"

"Good Lord, no! What I do deny her is--well, I don't quite know. Is it
brain, or soul, or what?"

"You take an interest in this girl, Barry. Is it possible you are going
to try to supply this deficiency of brain, or soul, or whatever it is?"

Barry laughed rather defiantly.

"Oh, I know you think I'm a fool for my pains! Yes, that's just what I
do want to do. I want to wake the girl up, to make her use her
intellect, fit herself to be Owen's companion. I hate to think of their
marriage turning out a failure--Owen disappointed in her, feeling
aggrieved, perhaps, at her inability to go forward with him, while she
in her turn feels impatient with him for expecting her to be something
she isn't--and that he ought never to have expected her to be!"

"Wait a moment, Barry." Herrick looked at him squarely. "Isn't there
something behind all this? Didn't I hear a rumour that some woman had
jilted Rose--thrown him over for a richer man, or som