e a tiger in a cage and let's
discuss things properly."

With an effort he pulled himself together and took a chair near her. The
woman was the more self-possessed of the two. The shock of suddenly
finding herself up against the logical outcome of her desires had
sobered her; and, faced with the prospect of an immediate flight
involving the abdication of her assured social position and the
surrender of a home, she was able to visualise the consequences of her
actions. The most sobering reflection was the thought that by so doing
she would be casting herself to the female wolves of her world--and she
knew the extent of their mercy. There were others of her acquaintance
besides Mrs. Trevor who would howl loud with triumph over her downfall.
The thought has saved many a woman from social ruin.

Thinking only of what she had so often told him of the misery of living
with a man as unsympathetic as her husband, Frank pleaded desperately
with a conviction that he was far from feeling. The hard fact of the
lack of sufficient money to pay for her travelling expenses, the
difficulty of getting off together from this out-of-the-way station,
were not to be got over. Then the impossibility of knowing whether she
could remain with him when he was on frontier duty and of supporting her
away from him, the realisation of the fact that they would have to face
the Divorce Court with its heavy costs and probably crushing damages,
all made the situation seem hopeless. In despair he sprang up and
resumed his nervous pacing of the room.

At last Violet said:

"All I can see, dearest, is that we must wait. It will be harder for me
than for you. You at least will not have to live with anyone uncongenial
to you. But I must. Yet I can bear it for your sake."

He stopped before her and looked at her in admiration of her courageous
and self-sacrificing spirit. Then he bent down and kissed her tenderly.
Sitting beside her he discussed the situation more calmly than he had
hitherto done. It was finally agreed that he was to go alone to his new
station, save all that he could to pay off his debts--he would receive a
higher salary in the Military Police and his expenses would be less--and
when he was free and had made a home for her Violet would sacrifice
everything for love and come to him. With almost tears in his eyes as he
thought of her nobility he strained her to his heart. When the time came
for parting the woman broke down completely and w