Part 37 (1/2)

”_I_!”

”You, yourself Have you not said you could not live on what I get as a public entlearet stared foolishly at this unescapable inference fro his cross-exaan to respect him whom she could not fool

”I know,” he went on, ”you're too intelligent not to have appreciated that either we must live on hed--a quiet, ah, different fro in intis she already knew ”And,” said he, in explanation of his laughter, ”I thought you married me because I had political prospects I fancied you had real a to the people of your set, to be in that set is to have achieved the sues, to go from one fussy house to another, from one showy entertainment to another, to eat stupid dinners, and caper or rin and chatter, to do nothing useful or even interesting--” He laughed again, one of his old-time, boisterous outbursts But it seehter of mountain and forest and infinity of space at her and her silly friends

”And you picture ME taking per to find you the money to do it with ME! Merely because I've been, for a aret felt that he had torn off the reater than her interest in this new personality was her anger at having been deceived--self-deceived ”You asked h and eyes filled with tears of rage ”I answered your question, and you grow insulting”

”I' the best I kno,” said he

After a ot herself under control ”Then,” asked she, ”what have you to propose?”

”I can't tell you just now,” replied he, and his”To-ht about it being huton and live poorly?”

”Undoubtedly I've felt that froree with ether,” said he And there was a quiet sternness in his sentle tone, that increased her alar, rather,” continued he, ”that you'd take an interest in my career”

”I do,” cried she

”Not in MY career,” replied he, those powerful, hewn features of his sad and bitter ”In your own--in a career in which I'd become as conte like Grant Arkwright Worse, for I'd do very badly what he has learned to do well”

”To be a well-bred, well-entleman is no small achievened to turn to gall after it reached him

He surveyed her tranquilly She re he met her at the Waldorf elevator and took her away and married her She knew that the crisis had come and that he was ready And she? Never had she felt less capable, less resolute

”I've been doing a good deal of thinking--thinking about us--these last few days--since I inflicted that scratch on you,” said he ”As, I've concluded you know as little about what constitutes a real gentleman as I do; also, that you have no idea what it is in you that lanced at hiht, and that expression of hers betrayed the fundamental weakness in her--the weakness that underlies all character based upon the achieveenerations away fro's speech sounded like a deliberate insult, deliberate attee to prepare her for such a rude, courage-testing event as that

”Do you remember--it was the day we married--the talk we had about my relatives?”

She colored, was painfully embarrassed, strove in vain to conceal it

”About your relatives?” she said inquiringly

He esture ”I know you reentleman meant, I'd never have said--or, rather, looked what I did then If you had knohat a gentleo on with a uard”

”You are unjust to us both,” she eagerly interrupted ”Joshua--you--”

”Don't try to excuse ht what I showed that day--hter--ht that was the realforefinger at her--”it was the me I'd be if you had your way”