le Lefferts tried to turn the question with a laugh, the old
gentleman twittered into Archer's ear: "Queer, those fellows who are
always wanting to set things right. The people who have the worst
cooks are always telling you they're poisoned when they dine out. But
I hear there are pressing reasons for our friend Lawrence's
diatribe:--typewriter this time, I understand...."

The talk swept past Archer like some senseless river running and
running because it did not know enough to stop. He saw, on the faces
about him, expressions of interest, amusement and even mirth. He
listened to the younger men's laughter, and to the praise of the Archer
Madeira, which Mr. van der Luyden and Mr. Merry were thoughtfully
celebrating. Through it all he was dimly aware of a general attitude
of friendliness toward himself, as if the guard of the prisoner he felt
himself to be were trying to soften his captivity; and the perception
increased his passionate determination to be free.

In the drawing-room, where they presently joined the ladies, he met
May's triumphant eyes, and read in them the conviction that everything
had "gone off" beautifully. She rose from Madame Olenska's side, and
immediately Mrs. van der Luyden beckoned the latter to a seat on the
gilt sofa where she throned. Mrs. Selfridge Merry bore across the room
to join them, and it became clear to Archer that here also a conspiracy
of rehabilitation and obliteration was going on. The silent
organisation which held his little world together was determined to put
itself on record as never for a moment having questioned the propriety
of Madame Olenska's conduct, or the completeness of Archer's domestic
felicity. All these amiable and inexorable persons were resolutely
engaged in pretending to each other that they had never heard of,
suspected, or even conceived possible, the least hint to the contrary;
and from this tissue of elaborate mutual dissimulation Archer once more
disengaged the fact that New York believed him to be Madame Olenska's
lover. He caught the glitter of victory in his wife's eyes, and for
the first time understood that she shared the belief. The discovery
roused a laughter of inner devils that reverberated through all his
efforts to discuss the Martha Washington ball with Mrs. Reggie Chivers
and little Mrs. Newland; and so the evening swept on, running and
running like a senseless river that did not know how to stop.

At length he saw that Madame