ad and gone? Why, the other man, and the woman herself, are dead
and gone now, both of them. Then, why?"

"I will tell you why. That happened once in my own experience."

"Impossible!"

"Yes, impossible. It should have been impossible among men at this
day of the world. But it happened. I also had the distinguished
honor to be the stake in some such game, and that because--indirectly
because--I had won the enmity, the suspicions at least--well, we will
say, of persons high in authority in this land."

"But, my dear young lady, the conditions can not have been the
same. Assuredly the result was not the same!"

"By whose credit, then? Who thinks of a woman? Who is there whose
hand is not raised against her? Each member of her own sex is her
enemy. Each member of the opposite sex is her foe. One breath,
one suspicion, and she becomes fair game, even under the strictest
code among men; and then, the man who did not dare would be
despised because he would not dare. Her life is one long war
against suspicion. It is one long war against selfishness, a
continued defense against desire, gratification. She is, even
to-day, valued as chattel--under all the laws and conventions built
about her runs the chattel idea. She is a convenience. Is that
all?"

"My dear lady, it is not for me to enter into discussion of
subjects so abstruse, so far removed at least from my proper trend
of thought--our proper trend of thought, if you please. I must
admit that act of folly, yes. But I must also end the matter
there."

"Then why should not I end our matter there, Sir? It seems to me
that if in any usual way of life, going about her business
honestly, paying her obligations of all sort--even that to her
crucifix at night--a woman who is clean wishes to remain clean, to
be herself,--why, I say, if that may not be, among men great or
small, distinguished or unknown, then most fortunate is she who
remains aloof from all chance of that sort of thing. Sir, I should
not like to think that, while I was in my room, for the time
removed from the society of the gentlemen who should be my
protectors, there was going on, let us say, somewhere in the
gentlemen's saloon, a little enterprise at chance in which--"

"But, my dear lady, you are mad to speak in this way! Lightning,
even lightning of folly, does not strike twice in the same place."

"Ah, does it not? But it has!"

"What can you mean? Surely you do not mean act