at any time you go out in the kitchen!"

"Jacky, a pipe! The idea! Aunt Jemima has little gold-tipped cigarettes
with her monogram on them. It's very much done."

"Blossom," cried Jacqueline accusingly, "did you smoke, yourself?"

The bride tossed her head, flushing. "Of course. One can't be too
provincial." (The _a_ in her "can't" had achieved a new and impressive
breadth--which, considering that the honeymoon had been of only three
weeks' duration, may serve to show something of the force and
adaptability of Jemima's character.) "Still," she added, "I should not
care to see mother smoking. I was rather--shocked by Aunt Jemima."

Kate smiled. She would not have been shocked. Her husband had too often
spoken of his aunt as a true Kildare, and related with pride certain
incidents in her career which had done their share toward creating the
reputation of "the wild Kildares." It had always been a matter of
astonishment to her that this wicked old woman, whose past might
certainly have made for leniency in judgment, should have shown herself
so hotly unforgiving toward the one episode she had selected to regard
as the family scandal.

James Thorpe, the psychologist, could have told her that the recognized
tolerance of innocence for vice has its complement in the approval with
which unblemished reputations are regarded by those who have them not.
Also, there was an unspoken tradition among her husband's people, as in
many families, that while born Kildares, male or female, might exercise
their Heaven-sent prerogative of behaving as they chose, it was for
their mates to maintain the balance of discretion. Poor Kate had
maintained no balance.

"Oh, speaking of New York," said the bride suddenly, "whom else do you
suppose I saw there? Your friend the author, Jacky! Oh, not to speak to,
of course ... James has broken with him entirely. Besides, he was with a
person, a very blonde and pretty person, whom I did not care to meet."
She smoothed down her skirts, the gesture of conscious rectitude the
world over. "I should not be surprised if she were that woman--you know!
Fay Something-or-other--"

Kate's warning glance reached her, and she bit her tongue.

Jacqueline had gone over to a window and stood looking out. "I miss the
old Ark," she said after a moment. "What have you done with it?"

Jemima rushed into speech, her eyebrows flying distress signals at her
mother. "Oh, that old thing? Why, when James bought the new ca