have introduced her to interesting foreigners, and Mrs. Chilton would
as willingly have caressed a tiger as spoken to a stranger no matter
how prepossessing. Howard Talbot, whom she had met at the house of a
common friend, had taken her by storm. Her family had disapproved,
not only because he was by birth a Southerner, but for the same
reason that had attracted their Madeleine. He was entirely too
different. Moreover, he would take her to a barbarous country where
there was no Society and people dared not venture into the streets
lest they be shot. But she had overruled them and been very happy--at
times. He was charming and adorable and it was manifest that for him
no other woman existed.

But she could not flatter herself that she was indispensable. He
openly preferred the society of men, and during that interminable sea
voyage she had seen little of him save at the table or when he came
to their stateroom late at night. For her mind he appeared to have a
good-natured masculine contempt. He talked to her as he would to a
fascinating little girl. If he cared for mental recreation he found
it in men.

She went into her bedroom and bathed her eyes with eau de cologne.
At least he had given her no cause for jealousy. That was one
compensation. And a wise married friend had told her that the only
way to manage a husband was to give him his head and never to indulge
in the luxury of reproaches. She was sorry she had forgotten herself
tonight.