ridor at three o'clock in the
morning?

"'Mrs. Bing:' 'Well, sir, yes; sir, that is, please your Honor [turning
to the judge], I _did_ meet Mr. Leighton in the collidoor, but 'e was
eating of a bunch of grapes that innercent you'd ha' knowed at once as
'_ee_ 'adn't been up to no mischief.' [Laughter.]

"Order! Order!" boomed Folly, as she slammed the book.

Leighton shrugged his shoulders.

"That's neither here nor there. You'll find before you get through with
life what people with brains have known for several centuries. The son
that's worth anything at all is never like his father. Sons grow."

"I don't care anything about that," said Folly, calmly. "I'm going to
have Lew because--well, just because I want him."

"And I say you 're not."

"So?" said Folly, her eyes narrowing. Then she smiled and added,
"There's only one way you can stop me"

"How's that?" said Leighton.

"By making me want somebody else more."

Leighton looked at her keenly for a moment.

"I shall never do that," he said.

"Somehow," said Folly, still smiling, "you've made a fair start. It
isn't you exactly. It's that you are just Lew--the whole of Lew and a
lot of things added."

"You are blind," said Leighton; "you don't know the difference between
addition and subtraction. Anyway, even if I could do it, I wouldn't. I
want to fight fair--fair with Lew, fair with you, if you're fair with
me, and fair with myself. But I want to fight, not play. Will you lunch
at our place to-morrow?"

"Let's see. To-morrow," said Folly, tapping her lips to hide a tiny
yawn. "Well, we can't fight unless we get together, can we? Yes, I'll
come."

CHAPTER XXXVIII

Immediately upon leaving Folly, Leighton called on Lady Derl, by
appointment. He had already been to Helene with his trouble over Lewis.
It was she that had told him to see Folly. "In a case of even the
simplest subtraction," Helene had said, "you've got to know what you're
trying to subtract from."

As usual, Leighton was shown into Helene's intimate room. He closed the
door after him quickly.

"Helene," he said, "where's the key?"

"The key? What key?"

"The key to this door. I want to lock myself in here."

"Poor frightened thing!" laughed Helene. "Turn around and let me look at
you. Is your face scratched?"

Leighton pulled out a handkerchief and mopped his brow. He stared at
each familiar object in the room as though he were trying to recall a
truant mind. Finally hi