're to tell what's right if God doesn't let you know and people
talk nonsense."

"It's not," agreed Miss Marley, dryly, "particularly easy to know."

"And his wife doesn't care for him," Claire went on. "Fancy Winn's wife
not caring for him! Poor woman!"

"Why do you pity her?" Miss Marley inquired with interest.

"Well," said Claire, with a sudden dimple, "I was only thinking I
shouldn't like to be Winn's wife if he didn't care for me; and then I
was thinking that if he didn't, I'd make him!"

"Well, that effort doesn't seem required of you," said Miss Marley.

"No, but it only shows you that I'm much the most wicked, doesn't it?"
asked Claire, with some pride.

"The points against Winn," Miss Marley said gravely, "are his age, his
experience, and his wife. I feel bound to tell you that there are points
against him."

Claire frowned.

"Winn isn't really old," she explained, "because he's only done things
all his life--games or his work; it hasn't been people. People make you
old, especially when you are looking after them. He's never really grown
up; and as for experience, I don't think you experience anything unless
you care about it. It hurts me sometimes to hear him talk about his
wife. He's never _had_ her; he's only had me. I don't explain very well,
but I know it's true, because he told me things about loving which
showed me he'd never had anything before except dogs--and Peter; and
Peter's awfully young, and dogs can't answer back. You can't grow up on
dogs."

Miss Marley tacitly admitted the limitations of canine influence; but
she said:

"Still, you know, he's not kept to his own code; that's what one must
judge people by. I'm sure he'd tell you himself that a married man
should leave girls alone."

Claire thought for a moment, then she said:

"Yes, but he's gone deeper than his code now. Don't you think that
perhaps a smash, even of something you value, makes you grow? I don't
know how to put it quite, but if you never did what you thought wrong,
would you ever know how big right is? Besides, he hasn't gone on doing
it. Perhaps he _did_ start wrong in getting to care, but that only makes
it harder and finer, his stopping himself. Very few people, I think, but
Winn could stop themselves, and nobody but Winn could ever care--so
much." Her voice broke, and she turned away her head.

"What," said Miss Marley, rolling another cigarette, "are your plans?"

Miss Marley felt that she must give up f