ord! And so cheap--so cheap and mean!"

As she spoke, his eyes were rapidly scanning the report he still had in
his hands. Again she noticed how tired he was. He looked up at her:

"I know it is! But why didn't you treat it like that? Why did you try
to make her keep quiet? Weren't you trying, when I came in?"

"No! No! It was just her odious trick--her pretending!"

"Pretending? How about you? Why did you pretend, when I brought Dwight
here, that you'd never laid eyes on him before? Had you or hadn't you?
Careful, now! Fanny says it is all here!"

"I'll explain in one word!"

"What's the word? Say it, please--and for God's sake clear this up!"

She was breathing hard, frightened, her mind in a whirl. Oh, to be able
to think clearly! Use a little common sense!

"Just a minute!" she gasped. "You'll see in a minute--"

"I see a good deal! It's right in your eyes! What are you looking so
scared about! And what did she say about my being old! I am old--and
you're young, young! And a beauty--just the kind for Dwight! Don't I
know of his love affairs? Wasn't he at it way back in Paris? Hasn't he
been--ever since?"

"Be careful, Joe," she cried angrily. But in his condition, nerves on
edge, he paid no heed and went rapidly on:

"I'm just a business man! And you've made me feel your contempt for all
that! And he's a musician, he's different--he has exactly what you
want! So you went to his studio twice a week--for months and
months--without letting me know--although he was a friend of mine! And
you went to the Ritz and the opera! And then I brought him here to
dine! God, how you two must have smiled at each other--when I wasn't
looking!"

"Joe! Joe!"

"You lied to me, didn't you, when he came! You say you'll explain it in
a word! Well, what's the word? I'm waiting!"

"There isn't any!" Her face was white. "I don't care to explain to you
now!" she cried. He looked at her. She could see he was trembling, and
she nearly changed her mind. But her anger came again. "I won't!" she
thought. "Not tonight!"

"Then you and I are through, you know," he said very huskily. He turned
and went into the hall, and a moment later the outer door closed. Ethel
sat down and stared blankly.

"I acted like an idiot!"

CHAPTER XXII

As she sat there she grew furious with herself for having bungled so.
Why hadn't she explained to him? Why hadn't she simply told him her
plan for giving him back his friends? All at once she cou