d him. He forced me to marry him." "And my own
brother, Belle, with his nonsensical Wagner worship, drove me to marry a
man I had only met twice." Selene sighed.

"We were fools," they said in chorus, as Val entered, his eyes red from
weeping. "You silly, silly boy, Sig never cared a rap for any one on
earth but himself. Look at us and follow our example in grieving," and
the widows laughed almost hysterically....

III

As early as seven o'clock there was a small crowd in front of the Marsoc
residence, from which was to be buried the famous tenor, Siegfried
Brazier. His death, his many romances, his marriages, his debts and his
stalwart personality canalized public curiosity, and after the doors had
been thrown open a constantly growing stream of men, women, children,
and again women, women, women, flowed into the house through the hall,
into the big reception-room, past the modest coffin with its twin
bouquets of violets, out of the side door and into the street again. The
fact that at midday there were to be imposing public obsequies, did not
check the desire of the morbid-minded to view the corpse in a more
intimate fashion. No members of the family were downstairs; but over the
broad balustrade hung two veiled women, their eyes burning with
curiosity. As the tide of humanity swept by Belle felt her arm pinched:

"There, there! the old woman in a crape veil. That's mother Madison.
She'll have to alter her will now. Perhaps she's done it already. She
was in love with Sig. Yes, that old thing." Selene gave a husky titter.
"And she's sneaking in to see the poor boy and thinks no one will
recognize her. I'd like to call out her name." Belle clapped her hand
over Selene's mouth.

"Look, now," said the latter, releasing herself; "look at those chorus
girls. What cheek! All with violets, because it was _his_ favorite
flower. What a man; what a man!" ...

Belle's companion leaned heavily on her, and Val came up and persuaded
his sister to go to the front room. His eyes were hollow and his voice
broke as he whispered to Belle that they might be seen. Besides, it was
nearly time--he went downstairs....

From the latticed window the two women watched. First, the police
cleared the way; the ragamuffins were driven into the street. Then the
fat undertaker appeared with Val and stood on the curb as the coffin, an
oak affair with silver handles and plate, was carried to the hearse. Val
and the undertaker got into a solita