bad conduct. She entered the place and they entered with her, although
she saw them not. Bess sat down, and presently a man whom she seemed
to know drew out of the throng and spoke to her. He was a tall man of
middle age, with heavy eyes. Looking into his heart, they saw that it
was stained with evil. The soul within him lay asleep, wrapped round
with the webs of sin. This man said:

"We are going to have a merry supper, Bess. Come and join us."

"I'd like to well enough," she answered, "for I'm tired of my grand
life; it's too respectable. But suppose that Anthony came along. He's my
lawful spouse, you know. We had words and I told him where I was going."

"Oh, we'll risk your Anthony! Forget your marriage ring and have a taste
of the good old times."

"All right. I'm not afraid of Anthony, never was, but others are. Well,
it's your look-out."

She went with the man to a pavilion where food was served, and
accompanied him to a room separated by curtains from the main hall. It
had open windows which looked out on to the illuminated garden and the
dancing. In this room, seated round a table, was a company of women
gaudily dressed and painted, and with them were men. One of these was
a mere boy now being drawn into evil for the first time, and Barbara
grieved for him.

These welcomed the woman Bess and her companion noisily, and made room
for them in seats near to the window. Then the meal began, a costly meal
at which not much was eaten but a great deal was drunk. The revellers