"Never mind, Edith," he consoled her. "You see, she couldn't have
married me, because I didn't know her; and besides, if she's as
mercenary as all that she'd have been too clever. The head doctor
even had to lend me the money for my ticket home."

"I didn't mean anything unpleasant about YOU," Edith babbled. "I only
meant I thought she was the kind of girl who was so simply crazy to
marry somebody she'd have married anybody that asked her."

"Yes, yes," said Bibbs, "it's all straight." And, perceiving that
his sister's expression was that of a person whose adroitness has set
matters perfectly to rights, he chuckled silently.

"Roscoe's perfectly lovely to her," she continued, a moment later.
"Too lovely! If he'd wake up a little and lay down the law, some day,
like a MAN, I guess she'd respect him more and learn to behave
herself!"

"'Behave'?"

"Oh, well, I mean she's so insincere," said Edith, characteristically
evasive when it came to stating the very point to which she had led,
and in this not unique of her sex.

Bibbs contented himself with a non-committal gesture. "Business
is crawling up the old streets," he said, his long, tremulous hand
indicating a vasty structure in course of erection. "The boarding-
houses come first and then the--"