own will to one that I know to be higher?"

Maurice smiled unhappily.

"Well," was his answer, "when you begin with a paradox like that it is
evident that I couldn't go on without getting into a discussion darker
than the darkness of Egypt. I'd rather just talk about common everyday
things. Where shall we go?"

"I want to go to the North End. There is an old woman there that I
thought of visiting. I had trouble with her husband the other day; he
threw her down and hurt her."

"What sort of trouble?"

"He struck me, and we had a sort of struggle. He wasn't sober."

"Were you on the street?"

"No; in his room. I--I broke in."

"Broke in?"

"Yes." Ashe hesitated, and then added: "Mrs. Fenton was there, and he
tried to rob her."

"Mrs. Fenton? Why didn't you tell me about it? When was it?"

"The day before I went down home. You weren't here, you know. There was
not much to tell."