tranquil wisdom.

"I think Mrs. Clarke's very clever," he said. "But I suppose she isn't
very wise."

"I'll tell you what it is, old Dion; she prefers life to wisdom."

"Well, but----" Dion Began.

But he stopped. Now he knew Mrs. Clarke a little better, from her own
evidence, he knew just what Daventry meant. He looked upon the life of
unwisdom, and he was able to feel its fascination. There were scents in
it that lured, and there were colors that tempted; in its night there
was music; about it lay mystery, shadows, and silver beams of the moon
shining between cypresses like black towers. It gave out a call to
which, perhaps, very few natures of men were wholly deaf. The unwise
life! Almost for the first time Dion considered it with a deep
curiosity.

He considered it more attentively, more curiously, during the afternoon,
when Mrs. Clarke's cross-examination was continued.

It was obvious that during this trial two women were being presented to
the judge and jury, the one a greedy and abominably secret and clever
sensualist, who hid her mania beneath a cloak of intellectuality, the
other a genuine intellectual, whose mental appetites far outweighed the
appetites of her body, who was, perhaps, a sensualist, but a sensualist
of the spirit and not of the flesh. Which of these two women was the
real Cynthia Clarke? The jury would eventually give their decision,
but it might not be in accordance with fact. Meanwhile, the horrible
unclothing process was ruthlessly proceeded with. But already Dion was
becoming accustomed to it. Perhaps Mrs. Clarke's self-possession helped
him to assimilate the nauseous food which was offered to him.

Beadon Clarke was in court, and had been pointed out to Dion, an
intellectual and refined-looking man, bald, with good features, and
a gentle, but now pained, expression; obviously a straight and
aristocratic fellow. Beside him sat his mother, that Lady Ermyntrude
who, it was said, had forced on the trial. She sat upright, her eyes
fixed on her daughter-in-law, a rather insignificant small woman,
not very well dressed, young looking, with hair done exactly in Queen
Alexandra's way, and crowned with a black toque.

Dion noticed that she had a very firm mouth and chin. She did not
look actively hostile as she gazed at the witness, but merely
attentive--deeply, concentratedly attentive. Mrs. Clarke never glanced
towards her.

Perhaps, whatever Lady Ermyntrude had believed hitherto, she w