new-born thing, which he had brought back with him after his exile, was
laid away, never to be allowed to come into full flower and maturity.

His decision was made. He temporized on one point. He would stay on
until the play was produced, so that if it succeeded, as he was
determined it should, Bambi would have that much satisfaction from her
matrimonial experiment. Then he would let her divorce him, and he would
take himself out of her life.

She was in the library when he went in. She caught sight of his face,
and exclaimed:

"Jarvis, my dear, how tired you look!"

He started to go, but she detained him.

"Is anything the matter, Jarvis?"

"No, what should be the matter?"

"I don't know, but if there is anything you want to talk out with me,
let's have it now. We can't afford to have any misunderstandings
between us."

"There is nothing," he said, and left the room.

That night, after dinner, he sat late in his study, writing. Two days
later the result of the evening's work came to Bambi:

"DEAR AUTHOR LADY: Some days ago I sent you my new address, so that you
need not send letters to the theatre, but so far I have not heard from
you. To-night, for some reason, I feel moved to write to you as I would
wish to talk to you were you near me.

"I say for some reason, and yet I know the reason. It is because of your
human understanding of the things that make men glad or sad. I am
beginning to know that only through the ache of experience can we come
to understand each other. Surely there must be something of sadness back
of your life, Lady of Mystery, to give you this power.

"To-day I have fought out a bitter fight with myself, and I feel the
loneliness that comes in a crisis, when each man of us must stand or
fall, alone.

"The play goes ahead rapidly. As I told you, Mrs. Jocelyn and I have
great satisfaction in our work on it. I am determined to wring success
from it. Both for your sake and for mine, I must!

"Is this personal letter distasteful to you? Do I depend too much upon
your gracious understanding? If I do, say so, and I will not
offend again.

"Faithfully,
"JARVIS JOCELYN."

Bambi read this letter over and over again, behind the locked door of
her bedroom. What did it all mean? What was the bitter fight that drove
Jarvis to this other woman for solace? How far did she dare draw him out
on it, without offending