want him shot at sunrise. They can't talk
about anything but the movies and jazz dancing and clothes."

"What do you want them to talk about? Don't pace up and down like a
wild beast." Beatrice came up and stood before him to prevent his
turning the corner.

He looked down at her without answering. She was clad in shimmering
white loveliness cut along the same medieval lines as the gown another
Beatrice had worn when Dante first saw her walking by the Arno; her
hair was very sunshiny and fragrant and her dove-coloured eyes most
appealing.

He burst out laughing at his own protest. "Am I a bear? Come and kiss
me. If you like them or they amuse you just tote 'em about, darling.
Only can't you manage to do it while I am out of town? They do fleck
me on the raw."

"Hermit--beast," she dimpled and shook her finger at him.

"I just want you," he said, simply; "or else people who can do
something besides spend money or sponge round for it."

"Sometimes you frighten me--you sound booky."

"I'm not; I want real things, Bea. I feel hungry for plain people."

"You have them all day long in your office and your shops; I should
think when you come home you'd welcome a good time."

"Our definitions differ. Anyhow, I'm not going to find fault with your
friends. I've nothing against them except that they are time
wasters."

"Trudy boarded at your wonderful Miss Faithful's house."

"In spite of Mary's common sense, and not because of it."

"You think a great deal of that girl, don't you?" she asked, patting
his sleeve.

"She deserves a great deal of credit; she has worked since she was
thirteen, and she is as true-blue as they come."

"Do you think she will ever marry and leave you?" she asked, laying
the sunshiny head on his arm.

"I never want her to; I'd feel like buying off any prospective
bridegroom."

"That's not fair." Her hand stole up to pat his cheek. "She has the
right to be happy--as we are, Steve!"

He stared at her in all her lovely uselessness. "You funny little
wife," he whispered--"fighting over losing a postage stamp one
minute and buying a new motor car the next; going to luncheon with
the washed of Hanover and spending the afternoon with Trudy; making
fun of Mary Faithful's shirt waists and then pleading for her woman's
happiness.... Beatrice, you've never had half a chance!"

* * * * *

The next afternoon Mary and Luke Faithful were summoned home. La