er sex and common to both. Besides, her knowledge of such
matters was as vague as her mind was healthy and body wholesome. Men
who dined incautiously were not remarkable for their rarity; the actress
habit, being incomprehensible to her, meant nothing; and she said,
innocently: "What men like you can find attractive in a common woman I
do not understand; there are plenty of pretty women of your own sort.
The actress cult is beyond my comprehension; I only know it is generally
condoned. But it is not for such things that we drop men, Mr. Siward.
You know that, of course."

"For what do you drop men?"

"For falsehood, deception, any dishonesty."

"And you don't drop a man when you read in the papers that one of the
two best clubs in town has expelled him?"

She gave him a troubled glance; and, naively: "But you are still a
member of the other, are you not?" Then hardening: "It was common!
common!--thoroughly disgraceful and incomprehensible!"--and with every
word uttered insensibly warming in her heart toward him whom she was
chastening; "it was not even bad--it was worse than being simply bad; it
was stupid!"

He nodded, one hand slowly caressing the dog's head where it lay across
his knees.

She watched him a moment, hesitated, then smiling a little: "So now I
know the worst about you; do I not?" she concluded.

He did not answer; she waited, the smile still curving her red mouth.
Had she been too severe? She wondered. "You may help me to my feet," she
said sweetly. She was very young.

He rose at once, holding out his hands to aid her in that pleasantly
impersonal manner so suited to him; and now they stood together in the
purple dusk of the uplands--two people young enough to take one another
seriously.

"Let me tell you something," she said, facing him, white hands loosely
linked behind her. "I don't exactly understand how it has happened, but
you know as well as I do that we have formed a--an acquaintance--the
sort that under normal conditions requires a long time and several
conventional and preliminary chapters. ... I should like to know what you
think of our performance."

"I think," he said laughing, "that it is charming."

"Oh, yes; men usually find the unconventional agreeable. What I want to
know is why I find it so, too?"

"Do you?" A dull colour stained his cheek-bones.

"Certainly I do. Is it because I've had a delightful chance to admonish
a sinner--and be--just a little sorry--that he ha