s what life is, nothing but a
game of consequences. I knew what I was doing; you admit you were
responsible for yourself; and nothing but consequences have resulted
ever since. Sit down and be reasonable and friendly; won't you?"

"I cannot stay here."

"Try," he said, smiling, and made room for her on the sun-crisped moss.
A little later she seated herself with an absent-minded air and gazed
out across the valley. A leaf or two, prematurely yellow, drifted from
the birches.

"It reminds me," he said thoughtfully, "of that exquisite poem on
Autumn:

"'The autumn leaves are falling,
They're falling everywhere;
They're falling in the atmosphere,
They're falling in the air--'

--and I don't remember any more, dear."

"Did you wish to say anything to me besides nonsense?" she asked,
flushing.

"Did you expect anything else from me?"

"I had no reason to."

"Oh; I thought you might have been prepared for a little wickedness."

She turned her eyes, more green than blue, on him.

"I was not unprepared."

"Nor I," he said gaily; "don't let's disappoint each other. You know our
theory is that the old families are decadent; and I think we ought to
try to prove any theory we advance--in the interests of psychology.
Don't you?"

"I think we have proved it."

He laughed, and passing his arm around her drew her head so that it
rested against his face.

"That is particularly dishonourable," she said in an odd voice.

"Because I'm married?"

"Yes; and because I know it."

"That's true; you didn't know it when we were at Palm Beach. That was
tamer than this. I think now we can very easily prove our theory." And
he kissed her, still laughing. But when he did it again, she turned her
face against his shoulder.

"Courage," he said; "we ought to be able to prove this theory of
ours--you and I together--"

She was crying.

"If you're feeling guilty on Shiela's account, you needn't," he said.
"Didn't you know she can scarcely endure me?"

"Y-yes."

"Well, then--"

"No--no--no! Louis--I care too much--"

"For yourself?"

"N-no."

"For me? For Shiela? For public opinion?"

"No."

"For what?"

"I--I think it must be for--for--just for being--decent."

He inspected her with lively interest.

"Hello," he said coolly, "you're disproving our theory!"

She turned her face away from him, touching her eyes with her
handkerchief.

"Or," he added ironically, "is there another man?"

"N