t's wicked, when she might be the
making of some man who is worth something, and who lives somewhere."

Her husband got up.

"Jehosaphat!" he cried, "I never heard such talk in my life."

The idea that her love for him might have ebbed a little, or that she
would for a moment consider leaving him, he rejected as preposterous, of
course: the reputation which the majority of her sex had made throughout
the ages for constancy to the marriage tie was not to be so lightly
dissipated. Nevertheless, there was in her words a new undertone of
determination he had never before heard--or, at least, noticed.

There was one argument, or panacea, which had generally worked like a
charm, although some time had elapsed since last he had resorted to it.
He tried to seize and kiss her, but she eluded him. At last he caught
her, out of breath, in the corner of the room.

"Howard--you'll knock over the lamp--you'll ruin my gown--and then
you'll have to buy me another. I DID mean it," she insisted, holding
back her head; "you'll have to choose between Rivington and me.
It's--it's an ultimatum. There were at least three awfully attractive
men at Lily Dallam's tea--I won't tell you who they were--who would be
glad to marry me in a minute."

He drew her down on the arm of his chair.

"Now that Lily has a house in town," he said weakly, "I suppose you
think you've got to have one."

"Oh, Howard, it is such a dear house. I had no idea that so much could
be done with so narrow a front. It's all French, with mirrors and big
white panels and satin chairs and sofas, and a carved gilt piano that
she got for nothing from a dealer she knows; and church candlesticks.
The mirrors give it the effect of being larger than it really is. I've
only two criticisms to make: it's too far from Fifth Avenue, and one can
scarcely turn around in it without knocking something down--a photograph
frame or a flower vase or one of her spindle-legged chairs. It was
only a hideous, old-fashioned stone front when she bought it. I suppose
nobody but Reggie Farwell could have made anything out of it."

"Who's Reggie Farwell?" inquired her husband.

"Howard, do you really mean to say you've never heard of Reggie Farwell?
Lily was so lucky to get him--she says he wouldn't have done the house
if he hadn't been such a friend of hers. And he was coming to the tea
this afternoon--only something happened at the last minute, and he
couldn't. She was so disappointed. He buil