with the prejudices of the
old coercive despotism can naturally only see in the new a modification
of the old, instead of, as my system is, an entire reversal or
abandonment of it."

He shook his head sadly and said: "You seek to impose your ideas on
others, ostracizing those who reject them. Believe me, mankind has been
doing nothing else ever since it began to pay some attention to ideas.
It has been said that a benevolent despotism is the best possible form
of government. I do not believe that saying, because I believe another
one to the effect that hell is paved with benevolence, which most
people, the proverb being too deep for them, misinterpret as unfulfilled
intentions. As if a benevolent despot might not by any error of judgment
destroy his kingdom, and then say, like Romeo when he got his friend
killed, 'I thought all for the best!' Excuse my rambling. I meant to
say, in short, that though you are benevolent and judicious you are none
the less a despot."

Miss Wilson, at a loss for a reply, regretted that she had not, before
letting him gain so far on her, dismissed him summarily instead of
tolerating a discussion which she did not know how to end with dignity.
He relieved her by adding unexpectedly:

"Your system was the cause of my absurd marriage. My wife acquired a
degree of culture and reasonableness from her training here which made
her seem a superior being among the chatterers who form the female
seasoning in ordinary society. I admired her dark eyes, and was only too
glad to seize the excuse her education offered me for believing her a
match for me in mind as well as in body."

Miss Wilson, astonished, determined to tell him coldly that her time was
valuable. But curiosity took possession of her in the act of utterance,
and the words that came were, "Who was she?"

"Henrietta Jansenius. She is Henrietta Trefusis, and I am Sidney
Trefusis, at your mercy. I see I have aroused your compassion at last."

"Nonsense!" said Miss Wilson hastily; for her surprise was indeed tinged
by a feeling that he was thrown away on Henrietta.

"I ran away from her and adopted this retreat and this disguise in order
to avoid her. The usual rebuke to human forethought followed. I ran
straight into her arms--or rather she ran into mine. You remember the
scene, and were probably puzzled by it."

"You seem to think your marriage contract a very light matter, Mr.
Trefusis. May I ask whose fault was the separation? Her