e-table, appeared
to be only the more accented. And the precisely rounded but softly
heaving bosom, that was pressed upon the edges of the open book of
sermons before her, seemed to assert itself triumphantly over the rigors
of the volume.

At least so her husband and lover thought, as he moved tenderly
towards her. She met his first kiss on her forehead; the second, a
supererogatory one, based on some supposed inefficiency in the first,
fell upon a shining band of her hair, beside her neck. She reached up
her slim hands, caught his wrists firmly, and, slightly putting him
aside, said:

"There, Edward?"

"I drove out from Warensboro, so as to get here to-night, as I have to
return to the city on Tuesday. I thought it would give me a little
more time with you, Joan," he said, looking around him, and, at last,
hesitatingly drawing an apparently reluctant chair from its formal
position at the window. The remembrance that he had ever dared to occupy
the same chair with her, now seemed hardly possible of credence.

"If it was a question of your travelling on the Lord's Day, Edward, I
would rather you should have waited until to-morrow," she said, with
slow precision.

"But--I--I thought I'd get here in time for the meeting," he said,
weakly.

"And instead, you have driven through the town, I suppose, where
everybody will see you and talk about it. But," she added, raising her
dark eyes suddenly to his, "where else have you been? The train gets
into Warensboro at six, and it's only half an hour's drive from there.
What have you been doing, Edward?"

It was scarcely a felicitous moment for the introduction of Demorest's
name, and he would have avoided it. But he reflected that he had been
seen, and he was naturally truthful. "I met Dick Demorest near the
church, and as he had something to tell me, we drove down the turnpike a
little way--so as to be out of the town, you know, Joan--and--and--"

He stopped. Her face had taken upon itself that appalling and
exasperating calmness of very good people who never get angry, but drive
others to frenzy by the simple occlusion of an adamantine veil between
their own feelings and their opponents'. "I'll tell you all about it
after I've put up the horse," he said hurriedly, glad to escape until
the veil was lifted again. "I suppose the hired man is out."

"I should hope he was in church, Edward, but I trust YOU won't delay
taking care of that poor dumb brute who has been oblig