, dear, don't cry. He will soon be himself again. His
terrible experience on the steamer upset him dreadfully. His nervous
system underwent such a shock that it has entirely changed his
character. Wilbur says it is quite a common phenomenon. Only the
other day he read in some medical book an article on that very subject.
The writer says any great shock of that kind can cause a temporary
disarrangement of the moral sense and perceptions. For example, a man
who, under ordinary circumstances is a perfect model of a husband, with
every good quality and virtue, may suddenly lose all sense of conduct
and become am unprincipled _roue_. In other words, we have two natures
within us. When our system is working normally we succeed in keeping
the evil that's in us under control; but following any great shock, the
system is disarranged, the evil gains the ascendancy, and we appear
quite another person. This explains the dual personality about which
Wilbur and I had an argument the other day. Don't you remember?"

Helen nodded. Sadly she said:

"I begin to think you are right. Certainly he has changed. If he had
been like this when I first met him I should never have married him.
It is not the Kenneth I learned to love." Bitterly, she added: "As he
is now, I feel I dislike and detest him. Unless he soon changes for
the better, I shall leave him. In self respect I can't go on living
like this?"

Kissing her sister again, Ray rose and went back to her seat.
Confidently, she said:

"Don't worry, dear. I'm sure everything will be all right soon. You
see if I'm not right. By my wedding day--only three weeks away
now--you'll think as much of Ken as ever----"

"I hope so, dear, but three weeks is a long time to wait----"

The young girl laughed.

"Why that's nothing at all. Just imagine Ken is ill or gone away from
you on a visit for that length of time----"

As she spoke the door opened, and Francois entered with a silver
salver, which he presented to his mistress.

"A letter for Madame."

Helen looked at the envelope and threw it down with a gesture of
impatience. Crossly, she exclaimed:

"Francois, I do wish you'd be more careful. Can't you read. Don't you
see the letter is addressed to Mr. Traynor?"

The valet nodded.

"_Oui_, madame. But as Monsieur is out I thought that possibly
madame----"

Incensed more at the fellow's impudent air than by what he actually
said, Helen lost her temper. Ang