in the dark--it is much better to speak about them
and let the sun get in on them and take all their sorrow away. That is
why I would not let you be by yourself now, dear friend, as I suppose
one of your reserved countrymen would have done. I just determined to
make you talk about it, and to realize that there are lots of lovely
other things to comfort you, and that you are not all alone."

Henry was strangely touched at her kind common sense; he already felt
better and not so utterly crushed out with despair. He told her how
sweet and good she was and what a true, unselfish woman--but Moravia
shook her head.

"I am not a bit; it is purely interested, because I am so awfully fond
of you myself. I _love_ to pet you--there!" and she laughed softly, so
happy to see that she had been able even to make this slight effect, for
she saw the color had come back in a measure to his face, and her keen
brain told her that this was the right tack to go upon--not to be too
serious or show any sentiment, but just to use a sharp knife and cut
round all the wound and then pour honey and balm into it herself.

"You and Sabine would never really have been happy together," she now
told him. "You were much too subservient to her and let her order you
about. She would have grown into a bully. Now, Mr. Arranstoun won't
stand a scrap of nonsense, I am sure; he would make any woman obey
him--if necessary by using brute force! They are perfectly suited to one
another, and very soon you will realize it and won't care. Do you
remember how we talked at dinner that night at Ebbsworth about women
having to go through a stage in their lives sooner or later when they
adored just strength in a man and wanted a master? Well, I wondered then
if Sabine had passed hers, but I was afraid of hurting you, so I would
not say that I rather thought she had not."

"Oh, I wish you had!" Henry spoke at last. "And yet, no--the whole thing
has been inevitable from the first, I see it plainly. The only thing is,
if I had found it out sooner it might have saved Sabine pain. But it is
not too late, thank God--the divorce proceedings can be quashed; it
would have been a little ironical if she had had to marry him again."

"Yes," Moravia agreed. "Now, if we could only get him to come here
immediately, we could explain it all to him and make him wire to his
lawyers at once."

"I have already sent for him--I think he will arrive to-morrow at nine."

"How glorious! It