mantel-piece, looking
down at her.

"I suppose every man wonders, once in a while, how he'd conduct himself
in a crisis. When the Lusitania went down I dare say a good many fellows
wondered if they'd have been able to keep their coward bodies out of the
boats. I know I did. And I wonder about myself now. What can I do if we
go into the war? I couldn't do a forced march of more than five miles.
I can't drill, or whatever they call it. I can shoot clay pigeons, but I
don't believe I could hit a German coming at me with a bayonet at
twenty feet. I'd be pretty much of a total loss. Yet I'll want to do
something."

And when she sat, very silent, looking into the fire: "You see, you
think it absurd yourself."

"Hardly absurd," she roused herself to look up at him. "If it is, it's
the sort of splendid absurdity I am proud of. I was wondering what
Natalie would say."

"I don't believe it lies between a man and his wife. It's between him
and his God."

He was rather ashamed of that, however, and soon after he went away.

CHAPTER XIX

Natalie Spencer was finding life full of interest that winter. Now and
then she read the headings in the newspapers, not because she was really
interested, but that she might say, at the dinner-party which was to her
the proper end of a perfect day:

"What do you think of Turkey declaring her independence?"

Or:

"I see we have taken the Etoile Wood."

Clayton had overheard her more than once, and had marveled at the
dexterity with which, these leaders thrown out, she was able to avoid
committing herself further.

The new house engrossed her. She was seeing a great deal of Rodney,
too, and now and then she had fancied that there was a different tone in
Rodney's voice when he addressed her. She never analyzed that tone,
or what it suggested, but it gave her a new interest in life. She was
always marceled, massaged, freshly manicured. And she had found a new
facial treatment. Clayton, in his room at night, could hear the
sharp slapping of flesh on flesh, as Madeleine gently pounded certain
expensive creams into the skin of her face and neck.

She refused all forms of war activity, although now and then she put
some appeal before Clayton and asked him if he cared to send a check. He
never suggested that she answer any of these demands personally, after
an experience early in the winter.

"Why don't you send it yourself?" he had asked. "Wouldn't you like it to
go in your name?