empt to be kittenish.

Jack turned away, sickened by her vain folly, and frowned involuntarily.
What an outrageous ass he had been! However, some day he would break
away from his chains; only, he must do it decently. Let her down gently,
so to speak, as she was so damned dependent on his passion, which had
long since died a natural death.

Mrs. Fox snuggled her hand into his. "Say something nice, my Beauty
Boy," she wheedled.

Jack squirmed inwardly; nevertheless, to oblige her he admired her gown
and called up the ghost of the smile which had once been his special
charm.

"How lovely it would be if you and I were husband and wife,
Jack?--sitting here, together, in the eyes of all the world?"

"Lovely," echoed Jack, dutifully.

"You would never fail me, dearest, would you? Say, supposing I were, by
some miracle, free?"

Knowing that she was securely bound, Jack felt safe in assuring her that
he would never dream of failing her. It was his belief that this, and
other vows he had unthinkingly made, were impossible of fulfilment in
their circumstances.

"What a boy it is!--always so shy of letting himself go. Look at me. I
want to see if your eyes are speaking the truth. There is something of
importance I have to tell you relating to our two selves and the
future."

Jack obeyed, curious and not a little anxious because of the
half-suppressed note of excitement she could not keep out of her voice.
The shaded lights of the theatre were not too dim to show the fine lines
at the corners of her mouth and the obvious effort to supply by art what
nature had failed to perpetuate. But the egotism of a woman grown used
to her power to charm, dies hard.

Jack's eyes fell nervously before the questioning in hers.

"Tell me, don't you believe we could be very happy together?"

"Why should you doubt me?" he said evasively.

"I don't doubt you, but I want the joy of hearing you say so. To me it
is so wonderful,--what is about to happen,--that I am afraid I shall
wake up and find it is all a dream!" she said fatuously, gazing with
adoration at Jack's fine physique and boyish, handsome face. "You have
often feared possibilities, and said you would stand by me if anything
went wrong between Barry and myself."

Jack remembered having often said much that had made him hotly
uncomfortable to recall afterwards.

"Didn't you, Jack, dear?"

"Of course," he said desperately. "What else do you suppose, unless I am
a howling ca