wear a woman down."

"It almost killed me," laughed Mildred. "And you were largely
responsible."

"I?" said Baird. "You didn't want me. I was too old for you."

"No, I didn't want you," said Mildred. "But you spoiled me. I
couldn't endure the boys of my own age."

Stanley was remembering that Mildred had married a man much older than
he. With some notion of a careless sort of tact in mind he said, "I
was betwixt and between--neither young enough nor old enough."

"You've married, too, since we met. By the way, thank you again for
that charming remembrance. You always did have such good taste. But
why didn't you come to the wedding--you and your wife?"

He laughed. "We were busy busting up," said he. "You hadn't heard?
It's been in the papers. She's gone back to her people. Oh, nothing
disgraceful on either side. Simply that we bored each other to death.
She was crazy about horses and dogs, and that set. I think the
stable's the place for horses--don't care to have 'em parading through
the house all the time, every room, every meal, sleeping and waking.
And dogs--the infernal brutes always have fleas. Fleas only tickled
her, but they bite me--raise welts and hills. There's your husband
now, isn't it?"

Baird was looking up at the windows of the Continental, across the
street. Mildred's glance slowly and carelessly followed his. At one
window stood the little general, gazing abstractedly out over the
gardens. At another window Mildred saw Harding; at a third, her maid;
at a fourth, Harding's assistant, Drawl; at a fifth, three servants of
the retinue. Except the general, all were looking at her.

"You've married a very extraordinary man," said Baird, in a correct
tone of admiration. "One of the ablest and most interesting men we've
got, _I_ think."

"So you are free again?" said Mildred, looking at him with a queer,
cold smile.

"Yes, and no," replied Stanley. "I hope to be entirely free. It's her
move next. I'm expecting it every day. But I'm thoroughly
respectable. Won't you and the general dine with me?"

"Thanks, but I'm sailing for home to-morrow or next day."

"That's interesting," said Baird, with enthusiasm. "So am I. What ship
do you go on?"

"I don't know yet. I'm to decide this afternoon, after lunch." She
laughed. "I'm sitting here waiting for someone to ask me to lunch.
I've not had even coffee yet."

"Lunch with me!" cried Baird. "I'll go get the general--I kn