on his stick, stroking an end of his long mustache pensively. He wore a
gray suit and a soft gray felt hat. For a minute or more there was no
change in his attitude, even when the terrified eyes of the women told
him he was observed. As he began to thread his way among the vehicles to
cross the street he displayed neither haste nor confusion. Edith could
see that, though he was pale and grave, he could, even in this
situation, carry himself with dignity. In its way it was something to be
glad of. She herself stood her ground as a man on a sinking ship waits
for the waves to engulf him.

Reaching the pavement, he ignored his wife to go directly to the woman.

"What does this mean, Maggie?"

His tone was not so much stern as reproachful. The faded woman, who was
still trying to make herself young and pretty, quailed at it.

Edith came to her relief:

"Isn't that something for _you_ to explain, Chip?"

He turned to his wife. "I'm willing to explain anything you like,
Edith--as far as I can."

"I won't ask you how far that is--because I know already everything I
need to know."

"Everything you need to know--what for?"

"For understanding my position, I suppose."

"Your position? Your position is that of my wife."

"Oh no, it isn't. There's your wife."

"Don't say that, Edith. That lady would be the first to tell you--"

"She _has_ been the first to tell me. She's been extremely kind. She's
answered my questions with a frankness--"

"But _you're_ not kind, Edith. Surely you see that--that mentally she's
not--not like every one else."

"Oh, quite. I don't think _I_ am now. I doubt if I ever shall be again.
No woman can be mentally like every one else after she's been deceived
as we've been."

"_She_ hasn't been deceived, Edith; and I should never have deceived you
if--"

She laughed without mirth. "If you hadn't wanted to keep me in the
dark."

"No; if I hadn't had responsibilities--"

"Responsibilities! Do you call _that_"--her glance indicated the woman,
whose misty stare went from the one to the other in a vain effort to
follow what they were saying--"do you call that a responsibility?"

"I'm afraid I do, Edith."

"And what about--me?"

"Hasn't a man more responsibilities than one?"

"A married man hasn't more wives than one."

"A married man has to take his life as his life has formed itself. He
was an unmarried man first."

"Which means, I suppose, that the ties he formed when he was an