th a woman, but where did you ever meet the girl,
my dear boy?"

I explained.

"You might come to the wedding, George," I said.

[Illustration: Alathea (Harriet Hammond) realizes that Suzette (Renee
Adoree) is the only woman that stands between her and the love of Sir
Nicholas (Lew Cody). (A scene from Elinor Glyn's production "Man and
Maid" for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)]

He promised he would, then he smoked for a minute or two in silence.
"Pretty terrible thing, marriage," and he puffed blue rings with perfect
precision. "I have never been able to face it. What has made you slip
into the mesh?"

"Because I think I have found someone who will be a good companion and
not bore me."

"You are not in love then? It is a sensible arrangement, and in that way
you have a chance of happiness; also the girl has had a hard life, and
may be grateful for comfort and kindness."

"What do you suppose men really want, George?"

"The continuous stimulation of the hunting instinct, of course. It is
satiety which kills everything, but what a small percentage of women
know how to keep it alive, on the mental side!"

I waited for him to go on.

"You see, dear boy, love which is only the camouflaged aspect of the
creative instinct, cannot really hold, but a clever woman acts as a spur
to the mind, keeps it hunting in the abstract, as well as gratifying,
not too generously, the physical desires. Unfortunately it has never
been my good fortune to encounter such a being, so I have never been
able to remain faithful. You are very much in luck if Bobby's girl shows
intelligence. She ought to be a remarkable creature because she was born
at the white heat of passion on both parents' side, and self-sacrifice
and devotion added on the mother's."

"She is, George."

"My best wishes, Nicholas. I think you are wise, probably wounded as
you are, it will be nice for you to have an agreeable companion," and he
sighed.

"You have quite finished with Violetta?"

"Now that is the odd part," and he actually removed his cigar from his
lips. "I thought I had, but when I went to see her with the certain
intention of deceiving her and backing out gracefully,--that vixen
Carmencita was drawing me so strongly!--I found Violetta quite tranquil.
She said she had realized that I was cooling off, and her rule was to
hold nothing which did not wish to stay, so she was quite prepared to
part from me. She was very tender, she looked beautiful, and you know