“Mrs. Pasmer,” said Dan, “you and I are the only frank and open people I know. Well, she began to talk last night about influence--the influence of other people on us; and she killed off nearly all the people I like before I knew what she was up to, and she finished with Mrs. Brinkley. I'm glad she didn't happen to think of you, Mrs. Pasmer, or I shouldn't be associating with you at the present moment.” This idea seemed to give Mrs. Pasmer inexpressible pleasure. Dan went on: “Do you quite see the connection between our being entirely devoted to each other and my dropping Mrs. Brinkley?” “I don't know,” said Mrs. Pasmer. “Alice doesn't like satirical people.” “Well, of course not. But Mrs. Brinkley is such an admirer of hers.” “I dare say she tells you so.” “Oh, but she is!” “I don't deny it,” said Mrs. Pasmer. “But if Alice feels something inimical--antipatico--in her atmosphere, it's no use talking.” “Oh no, it's no use talking, and I don't know that I want to talk.” After a pause, Mavering asked, “Mrs. Pasmer, don't you think that where two people are going to be entirely devoted to each other, and self-sacrificing to each other, they ought to divide, and one do all the devotion, and the other all the self-sacrifice?” Mrs. Pasmer was amused by the droll look in Dan's eyes. “I think they ought to be willing to share evenly,” she said. “Yes; that's what I say--share and share alike. I'm not selfish about those little things.” He blew off a long sighing breath. “Mrs. Pasmer, don't you think we ought to have an ideal of conduct?” Mrs. Pasmer abandoned herself to laughter. “O Dan! Dan! You will be the death of me.” “We will die together, then, Mrs. Pasmer. Alice will kill me.” He regarded her with a sad sympathy in his eye as she laughed and laughed with delicious intelligence of the case. The intelligence was perfect, from their point of view; but whether it fathomed the girl's whole intention or aspiration is another matter. Perhaps this was not very clear to herself. At any rate, Mavering did not go any more to see Mrs. Brinkley, whose house he had liked to drop into. Alice went several times, to show, she said, that she had no feeling in the matter; and Mrs. Brinkley, when she met Dan, forbore to embarrass him with questions or reproaches; she only praised Alice to him.