"Your confidence shall never be betrayed by me," said Penloe. "Thank you, Penloe," said Mrs. Herne. "Now, let me tell you what it is. Previous to my marriage to Charles Herne there was something in addition to his true worth and genuine character that attracted me to him; something about his personality, for I always felt a thrill of joy when with him; even if I only heard the sound of his coming footsteps, or he happened to touch my dress, there was a sensation of pleasure; and when he took my hand, and pressed it and kissed me, it was bliss. Well, I married him and we came to this beautiful home, and that thrill of delight continued between me and Charles for about two months, and during that time I was living in my ideal world. But after two months I noticed a little less of that feeling, and it kept growing less and less, till now there is none at all. I love him with my whole heart, and am devoted to him, my environments are the same, or better in many ways, seeing that I am a happy mother, and the place has now more comforts and conveniences than when I came here as a bride; yet that attraction has gone so that when Charles kisses me or touches me it seems as if it was my own self kissed me and touched me--to make the union a perfect one, the delight of attraction should always be present; in that way I have not realized my ideal." Penloe said: "Do you know, Mrs. Herne, there are more than a million couples whose experience is exactly like your own; and if your environments had not been so pleasant, and both of your dispositions well blended, and well balanced, you would have separated long ago, as many have done, not knowing the real cause, and thinking it was something else. You see," continued Penloe, "before you were married, you and your husband had both led pure, virtuous lives; and each of you was like a strong electric battery, charged with the life forces of the body, which produced this pleasant feeling of attraction, and when you were married both of you thought and acted like most other married people." Mrs. Herne said: "Thank you, Penloe; the ideas you have advanced should become common property of the many." Penloe replied: "Yes; but there are some who have these ideas, but don't wish to put them in practice." Mrs. Herne said: "Penloe, suppose that two married persons having been living as most married persons do, and one of the two wished to live the better way which you have just described, while the other wished to live as they have been doing, what would be best to do in a case like that?"