ly regretful. She wondered "if any married woman was
really happy." She did not apparently concern herself about Basil. The
Judge rather leaned to Basil's consideration. He understood that Dora's
overt act had shattered his professional career as well as his personal
happiness. He could feel for the man there. "My dears," he said, with
his dilettante air, "the goddess Calamity is delicate, and her feet
are tender. She treads not upon the ground, but makes her path upon the
hearts of men." In this non-committal way he gave his comment, for he
usually found a bit of classical wisdom to fit modern emergencies, and
the habit had imparted an antique bon-ton to his conversation. Ethel
could only wonder at the lack of real sympathy.

In the morning she went to see her grandmother. The old lady had "heard"
all she wanted to hear about Dora and Basil Stanhope. If men would
marry a fool because she was young and pretty, they must take the
consequences. "And why should Stanhope have married at all?" she asked
indignantly. "No man can serve God and a woman at the same time. He
had to be a bad priest and a good husband, or a bad husband and a good
priest. Basil Stanhope was honored, was doing good, and he must needs be
happy also. He wanted too much, and lost everything. Serve him right."

"All can now find some fault in poor Basil Stanhope," said Ethel.
"Bryce was bitter against him because Miss Caldwell shivers at the word
'divorce.'"

"What has Bryce to do with Jane Caldwell?"

"He is going to marry her, he says."

"Like enough; she's a merry miss of two-score, and rich. Bryce's
marriage with anyone will be a well-considered affair--a marriage with
all the advantages of a good bargain. I'm tired of the whole subject.
If women will marry they should be as patient as Griselda, in case there
ever was such a woman; if not, there's an end of the matter."

"There are no Griseldas in this century, grandmother."

"Then there ought to be no marriages. Basil Stanhope was a grand man in
public. What kind of a man was he in his home? Measure a man by his
home conduct, and you'll not go wrong. It's the right place to draw your
picture of him, I can tell you that."

"He has no home now, poor fellow."

"Whose fault was it? God only knows. Where is his wife?"

"She has gone to Paris."

"She has gone to the right place if she wants to play the fool. But
there, now, God forbid I should judge her in the dark. Women should
stand by wome