were
soon talking in the most intimate and personal way about
themselves--were confessing things which neither would have breathed to
anyone on land. It was the man who set the example of breaking through
the barriers of conventional restraint--perhaps of delicacy, though it
must be said that human beings are rarely so fine in their reticences
as the theory of refinement would have us believe. Said Stanley, after
the preliminaries of partial confidence and halting avowal that could
not be omitted, even at sea, by a man of "gentlemanly instinct":

"I don't know why I shouldn't own up. I know you'll never tell
anybody. Fact is, I and my wife were never in love with each other for
a second. We married because we were in the same set and because our
incomes together gave us enough to do the thing rather well." After a
solemn pause. "I was in love with another woman--one I couldn't marry.
But I'll not go into that. As for my wife, I don't think she was in
love with anyone. She's as cold as a stone."

Mildred smiled ironically.

Baird saw and flushed. "At least, she was to me. I was ready to make a
sort of bluff. You see, a man feels guilty in those circumstances and
doesn't want to humiliate a woman. But she--" he laughed
unpleasantly--"she wasn't bothering about MY feelings. That's a nice,
selfish little way you ladies have."

"She probably saw through you and hated you for playing the hypocrite
to her," said Mildred.

"You may be right, I never thought of that," confessed he. "She
certainly had a vicious way of hammering the other woman indirectly.
Not that she ever admitted being jealous. I guess she knew. Everybody
usually knows everything."

"And there was a great deal of talk about you and me," said Mildred
placidly.

"I didn't say it was you," protested Stanley, reddening.

"No matter," said Mildred. "Don't bother about that. It's all past
and gone."

"Well, at any rate, my marriage was the mistake of my life. I'm
determined that she shan't trip me up and trim me for any alimony. And
as matters stand, she can't. She left me of her own accord."

"Then," said Mildred thoughtfully, "if the wife leaves of her own
accord, she can't get alimony?"

"Certainly not--not a cent."

"I supposed so," said she. "I'm not sure I'd take it if I could get
it. Still, I suppose I would." She laughed. "What's the use of being
a hypocrite with oneself? I know I would. All I could get."

"Then you