to continue living beyond their legitimate means, the sentiment
was perhaps exaggerated. Many tears were shed, and many everlasting good-
byes spoken, though, seeing that Edith's new home would be only a few
streets off, and that of necessity their social set would continue to be
the same, more experienced persons might have counselled hope. Three
months after the marriage they found themselves side by side at the same
dinner-table; and after a little melodramatic fencing with what they were
pleased to regard as fate, they accommodated themselves to the customary
positions.

Blake was quite aware that Sennett had been Edith's lover. So had half a
dozen other men, some younger, some older than himself. He felt no more
embarrassment at meeting them than, standing on the pavement outside the
Stock Exchange, he would have experienced greeting his brother jobbers
after a settling day that had transferred a fortune from their hands into
his. Sennett, in particular, he liked and encouraged. Our whole social
system, always a mystery to the philosopher, owes its existence to the
fact that few men and women possess sufficient intelligence to be
interesting to themselves. Blake liked company, but not much company
liked Blake. Young Sennett, however, could always be relied upon to
break the tediousness of the domestic dialogue. A common love of sport
drew the two men together. Most of us improve upon closer knowledge, and
so they came to find good in one another.

"That is the man you ought to have married," said Blake one night to his
wife, half laughingly, half seriously, as they sat alone, listening to
Sennett's departing footsteps echoing upon the deserted pavement. "He's
a good fellow--not a mere money-grubbing machine like me."

And a week later Sennett, sitting alone with Edith, suddenly broke out
with:

"He's a better man than I am, with all my high-falutin' talk, and, upon
my soul, he loves you. Shall I go abroad?"

"If you like," was the answer.

"What would you do?"

"Kill myself," replied the other, with a laugh, "or run away with the
first man that asked me."

So Sennett stayed on.

Blake himself had made the path easy to them. There was little need for
either fear or caution. Indeed, their safest course lay in recklessness,
and they took it. To Sennett the house was always open. It was Blake
himself who, when unable to accompany his wife, would suggest Sennett as
a substitute. Club friends