his cigar. Calmly he replied:

"Your wife will expect it. She'll have a right to expect it."

Stafford smiled as he poured out another glass of wine. Grimly he
said:

"You don't know me, Hadley, not after all these years, or you wouldn't
talk like that. I'm not the man to be bullied or tyrannized or even
lectured by a woman. My wife and I will understand each other
perfectly. I shall make that quite plain from the outset. It's only
right. I give my wife--my name, my fortune. I expect in return
something from my wife. I think I've found just the right kind of
girl--unspoiled by society notions, sensible on every point--"

"Even on that of letting you have your own way?" laughed Hadley.

"Precisely. She is ideal in every particular. Clever, amiable, good
looking, not too strait-laced--she's just the girl I want. Don't you
remember," he hiccoughed, "it was you yourself who recommended her--"

"As a secretary," said Hadley dryly.

Once more Stafford emptied his glass. He had already drunk too much,
but he still had his wits about him. Laughing boisterously at his
friend's sarcasm, he quickly retorted:

"As a secretary--precisely--and I've engaged her--for life."

Again filling his glass, he went rambling on:

"You and the other fellows at the club may chaff me all you choose.
I'm going to marry her and that's all there is to it. I'm my own
master, do you understand? I have no family--no inquisitive,
meddlesome relatives, thank God! If this marriage is going to cost me
what friends I have--all right--let them keep away! Such friends are
not worth having, anyway. My mind is made up and you know me. Once I
make up my mind, nothing can alter it." Determinedly he added: "I'll
marry her even if she refuses me--"

"Refuses you?" smiled Hadley cynically; "surely you don't anticipate
anything of that sort. Girls don't refuse millionaires nowadays."

Stafford's face clouded again. With an impatient gesture he cried:

"That's just the kind of rot you fellows talk! You don't know
Virginia. She's not the sort of girl to be influenced in that way. If
she were, she'd have said 'yes' at once. I understand her perfectly.
She's still uncertain if she cares enough for me. I respect her all
the more for her reserve. I'd rather that than have a girl throw
herself at me merely for my money." Carelessly he added: "Oh, I'm not
worrying. We're getting along all right. It's only a question of time
now--"

Hadley did not know what t