y first husband, Dick?--such a good-looking boy--he was crazy
about golf and outdoor games. I got quite into his way of living, and it
was a great trial when I married Cecil Innes, who hated the open air,
and cared only for books and grubbing about in museums.'

_K._ 'Why did you leave Dick?'

_M._ 'I didn't really want to, we were very comfy together, but he fell
in love with another woman. He was mad about her, and asked me to
release him. As I had no children, I thought it only fair to agree.
Cecil interested me very much at first, and he adored me, but I had a
very dreary time with him. You know I'm not a bit literary, and he was
so "precious" and bookish, he bored me to death. I was glad to leave him
for Jack, my present husband, but Cecil's grief at parting was so
frightful I shall never forget it, and when he died soon after I felt
like a murderess.'

_K._ 'It must have been a painful experience, but one gets accustomed to
these tragedies, one hears of so many. There is always one who wants to
be free, and one to remain bound.'

_M._ 'Yes; and the unwritten tradition that it is a matter of honour
never to seek to hold an unwilling partner quite negatives the law that
a marriage can only terminate when both parties desire it.'

_K._ 'I'm sure the tragedies of parting one hears of nowadays are far
worse than the occasional tragedies in the old days, caused by being
bound, and ever so much more frequent.'

_M._ 'It wouldn't be such an irony if _anyone_ were benefited, but as
far as I can see the men suffer nearly as much as the women, especially
when they are old. According to our early century newspapers, an old
bachelor or widower could always get a young and charming wife, but now
nobody will marry an elderly man, except the old ladies, and the men
don't want them.'

_K._ 'It's a pity they don't, that would solve a lot of the unhappiness
one sees around. It must be awful to be deserted in one's old age.'

_M._ 'Talking about the old newspapers, it's very amusing to read them
in the British Museum, and see what wonderful things were expected of
the leasehold marriage system when it was first legalised. All the
abuses of the old system were to disappear: divorce, adultery,
prostitution, and seduction--all the social evils were to go in one
clean sweep.'

_K._ 'How absurdly shortsighted people were then. Divorce is abolished,
it's true, but the scandals and misery, broken hearts and broken homes
that it c