business appointment. And what of it if you have seen her, or she seen
you, here--or anywhere?"

"Only this: that I've met her so often by pure--by chance, on that square
you speak of, I bound for the court-house, she for I can't divine
where--for I've never looked behind me!--that I've had to take another
street to show I'm a gentleman. This very morn'--oh!--and now! here!
How can I explain--or go unexplained?"

Ovide lifted a hand: "Will you leave that to my wife, so unlearned yet so
wise and good? For the young lady's own sake my wife, _without_
explaining, will see that you are not misjudged."

"Good! Right! Any explanation would simply belie itself. Yes, let her
do it! But, Landry----"

"Yes?"

"For heaven's sake don't let her make me out a goody-goody. I haven't
got this far into life without making moral mistakes, some of them huge.
But in this thing--I say it only to you--I'm making none. I'm neither a
marrying man, a villain, nor an ass."

Ovide smiled: "My wife can manage that. Maybe it's good you came here.
It may well be that the young lady herself would be glad if some one
explained her to you."

"Hoh! does an angel need an explanation?"

"I should say, in Royal Street, yes."