things," she objected.

"So I may do," Peg agreed, "but I'm not a fool, and neither is he; and
as he's Ralph Scammel, and a good business man as well, he's not doing
all this just to please us, and don't you forget it. There's some reason
for it all."

"What do you mean?" But Faith spoke uneasily and looked away.

"I mean," said Peg bluntly, "that he's in love with one of us." She
looked at Faith with sharp eyes. "A man never spends heaps of money on a
woman for nothing. And as there's nothing to be got out of us, he's in
love with one of us, and I don't flatter myself that it's me."

She waited, but Faith made no reply. She did not like Peg when she was
in such serious moods, and lately Peg was often serious.

"Of course, I know you don't care two hoots about him," she went on.
"Anyone with half an eye could see that! Not two hoots you don't care
for him, but all the same I like to see fair play, and it's up to you
to make things more comfortable for him after all he's done for you and
me."

"What can I do? He's never here. He's just like a stranger," Faith
objected.

"Which is what you wanted him to be, isn't it?" Peg asked innocently.
"You're not complaining about that, are you? No! Well, then, what about
it?"

Faith laughed, not very convincingly.

"He's master in his own house," she said. "It's his money; he need not
spend any money on me if he does not want to. I am quite willing to go
back to the factory and work. I told him so. I'd go back to-morrow."

Peg grinned. "Would you?" she said. "I know you wouldn't, after living
here all these weeks and having servants to wait on you and pretty
frocks to wear and scrumptious food to eat. I'll bet you wouldn't, so
own up and be honest."

Faith frowned.

"Well, what do you expect me to do?" she asked rather crossly. "I
suppose this is all leading up to something, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. You've got to play fair. You've got to let him bring his
friends here and entertain them for him like other men's wives do. Where
do you suppose he goes every evening when he has dinner out, and in the
daytime when he has his lunch out? Well, he's being entertained by his
friends and their wives, of course."

Faith looked up quickly. It had never occurred to her to wonder where
Forrester spent his time when he was not at home.

"Well, I suppose he likes it," she said defensively.

"Likes it!" There was a world of scorn in Peg's voice. She turned again
to her moody c