"Oh, well--about a minute."

"And yet she certainly has the clearest possible idea of Mr. Walters.
I imagine that very few women ever come to know their husbands as
perfectly as Mrs. Walters knew hers."

"Or perhaps wish to."




III

The end of August--the night before my marriage.

Several earthquakes have lately been felt in this part of the globe.
Coming events cast their shocks before.

The news of it certainly came like the shock of an earthquake to many
people of the town, who know perfectly well that no woman will allow
the fruit and flowers to be carried off a place as a man will. The
sagacious old soul who visits me yearly for young pie-plant actually
hurried out and begged for a basketful of the roots at once, thus
taking time--and the rhubarb--by the forelock. And the old epicurean
harpy whose passion is asparagus, having accosted me gruffly on the
street with an inquiry as to the truth of my engagement and been
quietly assured, how true it was, informed me to my face that any man
situated as happily as I am was an infernal fool to entangle himself
with a wife, and bade me a curt and everlasting good-morning on the
spot. Yet every day the theme of this old troubadour's talk around the