to those of us who still stayed, and
doubled and redoubled their entreaties. That it was not what they said,
but those who said it, massing influences and suggestion, showed itself
when he who had been stubborn to one yielded with moist eyes to two. And
three overcame him who had mutely resisted less.

They knew their strength, and spoke softly with the voice of loving
women. And not a soul had spoken to me so in my far and weary songless
passage from the Atlantic States to the Pacific Coast. Long-repressed
emotions rose in me as the hair of one brushed my cheek, as the hand of
another lay upon my shoulder and mutely bade me rise; as another called
me, as another beckoned. I looked round like a half-fascinated beast,
and I caught the eye again of the man on my left. He and I were the only
ones left sitting there. All the rest had risen and were singing with
the singers.

In his eye, I doubt not, I saw what he saw in mine. A look of
encouragement, a demand for it, doubt, an emotional struggle, and
deeper than all a queer bitter amusement, that said plainly, "If you
fail me, I fall, but I would rather not play the hypocrite in these hard
times." We nodded rather mentally than actually, and were encouraged, I
knew if I yielded I was yielding to something founded essentially on
sex, and for my honesty's sake I would not fail.

"My child, it is no use," I said to her who spoke to me, and, struggling
with myself, I put her hand from me. But still they moved past and sang,
and the girls would not leave me till the first stroke of midnight
sounded from the clock upon the wall. They then went one by one and
joined the band. I turned again to my man, and conscious of my own hard
fight, I knew what his had been. We looked at each other, and being men,
were half ashamed that another should know we had acted rightly
according to our code, and had won a victory over ourselves.

And now we were truly outcasts, for no one spoke to us again. The
preacher prayed and we still sat there. But he cast us no word, and the
urgent women were good only to their conquered. Perhaps in their souls
was some sense of personal defeat; they had been rejected as women and
as angels of the Lord. We two at anyrate sat beyond the reach of their
graciousness; their eyes were averted or lifted up; we lay in outer
darkness.

As they began to sing once more we both rose and with a friendly look at
each other went out into the streets of the hostile city.