s for us to be talking like
this? We'll be taking it seriously, and then--"

The woman made a swift gesture of protest.

"Don't. Let's be honest--with each other, at least. I'm tired of
pretending to be other than I am. Why did you say 'being true to my
husband'? You know it's mockery. Is it being true to live with a man I
hate because man's law demands it, rather than true to you whom
Nature's law sanctions? Don't speak to me of society's right and
wrong! I despise it. There is no other tribunal than Nature, and
Nature says 'Come.'"

The man sat down slowly and dropped his head wearily into his hands.

"I say again, I cannot. I respect you too much. We're intoxicated now
being together. In an hour, after we're separate--"

She broke in on him passionately.

"Do you think a woman says what I have said on the spur of the moment?
Do you think I merely happened to see you to-day, merely happened to
say what I've said? You know better. This has been coming for months.
I fought it hard at first; with convention, with your idea of right
and wrong. Now I laugh at them both. Life is life, and short, and
beyond is darkness. Think what atoms we are; and we struggle so hard.
Our life that seems to us so short--and so long! A thousand, perhaps
ten thousand such, end to end, and we have the life of a world. And
what is that? A cycle! A thing self-created, self-destructive: then of
human life--nothingness. Oh, it's humorous! Our life, a ten thousandth
part of that nothingness; and so full of tiny--great struggles and
worries!" She was silent a moment, her throat trembling, a multitude
of expressions shifting swiftly on her face.

"Do you believe in God?" she questioned suddenly.

"I hardly know. There must be--"

"Don't you suppose, then, He's laughing at us now?" She hesitated
again and then went on, almost unconsciously. "I had a dream a few
nights ago." The voice was low and very soft. "It seemed I was alone
in a desert place, and partial darkness was about me. I was conscious
only of listening and wondering, for out of the shadow came sounds of
human suffering. I waited with my heart beating strangely. Gradually
the voices grew louder, until I caught the meaning of occasional words
and distinctly saw coming toward me the figure of a man and a woman
bearing a great burden, a load so great that both together bent
beneath the weight and sweat stood thick upon their brows. The edges
of the burden were very sharp so that th