woman--she wouldn't go out to dinner with Jaff
Chayne for a thousand pounds. Oh, she hated him; at which renewed
declaration she burst into fresh weeping and wished she were dead. As a
guardian of young and beautiful widows Jaffery did not seem to be a
success.

Barbara, in her wise way, said very little, and searched the
paraphernalia on the dressing table for eau-de-cologne and such other
lotions as would remove the stain of tears. Holding these in front of
Liosha, like a stern nurse administering medicine, she waited till the
fit had subsided. Then she spoke.

"You ought to be ashamed of yourself, Liosha, going on like a silly
schoolgirl instead of a grown-up woman of the world. I wonder you didn't
announce your intention of assassinating Jaffery."

"I've a good mind to," replied Liosha, nursing her grievance.

"Well, why don't you do it?" Barbara whipped up a murderous-looking
knife that lay on a little table--it was the same weapon that she had
lent the Swiss waiter. "Here's a dagger." She threw it on the girl's
lap. "I'll ring the bell and send a message for Mr. Chayne to come up.
As soon as he enters you can stick it into him. Then you can stick it
into me. Then if you like you can go downstairs and stick it into
Hilary. And having destroyed everybody who cares for you and is good to
you, you'll feel a silly ass--such a silly ass that you'll forget to
stick it into yourself."

Liosha threw the knife into a corner. On its way it snicked a neat
little chip out of a chair-back.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Clean your face," said Barbara, and presented the materials.

Sitting on the bed and regarding herself in a hand-mirror Liosha obeyed
meekly. Barbara brought the powder puff.

"Now your nose. There!" For the first time Barbara smiled. "Now you look
better. Oh, my dear girl!" she cried, seating herself beside Liosha and
putting an arm round her waist. "That's not the way to deal with men.
You must learn. They're only overgrown babies. Listen."

And she poured into unsophisticated but sympathetic ears all the
duplicity, all the treachery, all the insidious cunning and all the
serpent-like wisdom of her unscrupulous sex. What she said neither I nor
any of the sons of men are ever likely to know! but so proud of
belonging to that nefarious sisterhood, so overweening in her
sex-conceit did she render Liosha, that when they entered the little
private sitting-room next door whither, according to the instr