"Shall I see you next week--next Saturday?" he said, as

they returned to the town. She did not answer.

"Come to the Empire with me--you and Gertie," he

said.

"I should look well, going with a married man," she said.

"I'm no less of a man for being married, am I?" he said.

"Oh, it's a different matter altogether with a married man,"

she said, in a ready-made speech that showed her chagrin.

"How's that?" he asked.

But she would not enlighten him. Yet she promised, without

promising, to be at the meeting-place next Saturday evening.

So he left her. He did not know her name. He caught a train

and went home.

It was the last train, he was very late. He was not home till

midnight. But he was quite indifferent. He had no real relation

with his home, not this man which he now was. Anna was sitting

up for him. She saw the queer, absolved look on his face, a sort

of latent, almost sinister smile, as if he were absolved from

his "good" ties.

"Where have you been?" she asked, puzzled, interested.

"To the Empire."

"Who with?"

"By myself. I came home with Tom Cooper."

She looked at him, and wondered what he had been doing She

was indifferent as to whether he lied or not.

"You have come home very strange," she said. And there was an

appreciative inflexion in the speech.

He was not affected. As for his humble, good self, he was

absolved from it. He sat down and ate heartily. He was not

tired. He seemed to take no notice of her.

For Anna the moment was critical. She kept herself aloof, and

watched him. He talked to her, but with a little indifference,

since he was scarcely aware of her. So, then she did not affect

him. Here was a new turn of affairs! He was rather attractive,

nevertheless. She liked him better than the ordinary mute,

half-effaced, half-subdued man she usually knew him to be. So,

he was blossoming out into his real self! It piqued her. Very

good, let him blossom! She liked a new turn of affairs. He was a

strange man come home to her. Glancing at him, she saw she could

not reduce him to what he had been before. In an instant she

gave it up. Yet not without a pang of rage, which would insist

on their old, beloved love, their old, accustomed intimacy and

her old, established supremacy. She almost rose up to fight for

them. And looking at him, and remembering his father, she was

wary. This was the new turn of affairs!

Very good, if she could not influence him in the old way, she

would be level with him in the new. Her old defiant hostility

came up. Very good, she too was out on her own adventure. Her

voice, her manner changed, she was ready for the game. Something

was liberated in her. She liked him. She liked this strange man

come home to her. He was very welcome, indeed! She was very glad

to welcome a stranger. She had been bored by the old husband. To

his latent, cruel smile she replied with brilliant challenge. He

expected her to keep the moral fortress. Not she! It was much

too dull a part. She challenged him back with a sort of

radiance, very bright and free, opposite to him. He looked at

her, and his eyes glinted. She too was out in the field.




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