hat that was all over, at last, that you had
danced to your heart's content, and that we were to begin the old
life--the life before that nonsense--over again. You were like my old
Dora all day yesterday! The Dora I loved and courted and married back
there in the woods. But I might have known it wasn't finished by the
ache I had here," and he struck himself a blow over the heart with his
clenched fist, "when I waked this morning, and by the weight I've
carried here all day." And he drew a deep breath like one in pain.

The woman looked about as if apprehensive that even his passionate
undertone might have attracted attention, but only a man by the
radiator seemed to have noticed, and he had the air of being not quite
sober enough to understand.

There was a long pause.

The woman glanced nervously at the clock.

The man was again staring over her head.

It was quarter to six. Her precious minutes were flying. She must be
rid of him!

"See here, Zeke, dear," she said, in desperation, speaking very
rapidly under her breath--no fear but he would hear--"the truth is,
that I'm not a bit better satisfied with our sordid kind of life than
I was a year ago, when we first discussed it. I'm awfully sorry! You
know that. But I can't change--and there is the whole truth! It's not
your fault in one way--and yet in one way it is. God knows you have
done everything you could, and more some ways than you ought. But,
unluckily for you, gratifying me was not the way to mend the situation
for yourself. It is cruel--but it is the truth! If a man wants to keep
a woman of my disposition attached to him, he'd do far better to beat
her than over-educate her, and teach her all the beauties of freedom.
He should keep her ignorant, rather than cultivate her imagination,
and open up the wonders of the world to her. It's rough on chaps like
you, that with all your cleverness you've no instinct to set you right
on a point like this--but it is lucky for women like me--at times! You
were determined to force all this out of me, so you may as well hear
the whole brutal truth. I'm sick of our stupid ways of life--I have
been sick of it for a long time. I've passed all power to pretend any
longer. I have learned that there is a great and beautiful world
within the reach of women who are clever enough and brave enough to
grasp at an opportunity, without looking forward or back. I want to
walk boldly to this. I'm not afraid of the stepping-stones! Th