ely, Mr. Moreton."

He found himself feeling sorry for her, as he followed a footman
downstairs, his feet sinking into the carpets at each step. Crystal in
the blue car was at the door. She was bareheaded and the wind had been
blowing her hair about.

"Well," she said, as he got in, "did you have a good time? I'm sure
you had a good dinner."

"Excellent, but confusing. I don't quite get your friend."

"You don't understand Sophia?" Crystal's tone expressed surprise. "You
mean her jewels and her footmen? Why, Ben, it's just like the fathers
of this country who talked about all men being equal and yet were
themselves slaveholders. She sincerely believes those things in a way,
and then it's such a splendid role to play, and she enjoys that;
and then it teases Freddie Dawson. Freddie is rather sweet if he's
thoroughly unhappy, and this keeps him unhappy almost all the time.
Did she ask you to stay? I meant her to."

"Yes, she did; but of course I couldn't."

"Oh, Ben, why not?"

This brought them once more to the discussion of the barrier. This
time Ben felt he could make her see. He said that she must look at it
this way--that in a war you could not go and stay in enemy country,
however friendly your personal relations might be. Well, as far as he
was concerned this was a war, a class war.

They were headed for the Ocean Drive, and Crystal rounded a sharp turn
before she answered seriously:

"But I thought you didn't believe in war."

"I don't," he answered. "I hate it--I hate all violence. We--labor,
I mean--didn't initiate this, but when men won't see, when they have
power and won't stop abusing it, there is only one way to make--"

"Why, Ben," said Crystal, "you're just a pacifist in other people's
quarrels, but as militaristic as can be in your own. I'm not a
pacifist, but I'm a better one than you, because I don't believe in
emphasizing any difference between human beings. That's why I want
a League of Nations. I hate gangs--all women really do. Little girls
don't form gangs like little boys. Every settlement worker knows that.
I won't have you say that I belong to the other group. I won't be
classified. I'm a human being--and I intend to behave as such."

Since she had left him she had been immersed again in her old
life--her old friends--and the result had been to make her wonder if
her experience with Ben had been as wonderful as it had seemed. When
she stopped for him she had been almost prepared to