"Let her bring the friend along," was the careless answer.

The two women entered presently, and Edith made the introduction. The
husband and wife stood face to face at last. Her voice failed in her
throat from nervousness, so sure was she that the Endicotts had met
again! They had the center of the stage, and the interest of the
audience, but acted not one whit like the people in a play.

"Delighted," said Arthur in his usual drawling way on these occasions.
"I have had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Endicott before."

"Indeed," cried the lady. "I regret that my memory...."

"At Castle Moyna, a little fete, mother fainted because she saw me
running across the lawn ... of course you remember...."

"Why, certainly ... we all felt so sorry for the young singer ... her
father...."

"He was in jail and died since, poor man. Then I saw you coming across
on the steamer with a dear, sweet, old lady...."

"My husband's aunt," Sonia gasped at the thought of Aunt Lois.

"Oh, but he's letter-perfect," murmured Edith in admiration.

"And you might remember me," said the heartless fellow, "but of course
on a wedding-tour no one can expect the parties to remember anything, as
the guide for a whole week to your party in California."

"Of course there was a guide," she admitted, very pleasant to meet him
again, and so on to the empty end. Edith, stunned by her defeat, sat
crushed, for this man no more minded the presence of his wife than did
Curran. It was true. Arthur had often thought that a meeting like this
in the far-off years would rock his nature as an earthquake rocks the
solid plain. Though not surprised at her appearance, for Edith's schemes
had all been foreseen, he felt surprise at his own indifference. So
utterly had she gone out of his thought, that her sudden appearance,
lovely and seductive as of old, gave him no twinge of hate, fear,
repugnance, disgust, horror, shame, or pain.

He took no credit to himself for a self-control, which he had not been
called upon by any stress of feeling to exercise. He was only Arthur
Dillon, encountering a lady with a past; a fact in itself more or less
amusing. Once she might have been a danger to be kept out like a pest,
or barricaded in quarantine. That time had gone by. His indifference for
the moment appalled him, since it showed the hopeless depth of
Endicott's grave. After chatting honestly ten minutes, he went away
light of heart, without venturing to warn Edith. Anot