“Yes!” he answers rather gravely. Lax as he is in morals himself, he objects utterly to his wife’s ears being sullied with scandal. After all, though Zai’s innocence rather palls on him, he would not have it otherwise for all the world. But he has heard so much of Trixy from Percy Rayne that he feels it his bounden duty to do his best to keep the mire off the family he has married into. “You did not tell me you had heard about her,” Zai says, rather reproachfully, “perhaps you even saw her!” “No, I didn’t, my darling; but I am going to see her! and that to-morrow. Your sister is a giddy, frivolous little woman, and poor old Stubbs hasn’t much influence over her, I am afraid.” “Why, what has Trixy been doing, Delaval?” Zai asks hastily, lifting up a pair of anxious grey eyes, that are so pretty that he draws their owner down on his knee and kisses her. “Never mind what she has been doing, my own! I’m not going to tell you all the naughty things women do, or you will be following their bad example!” “Delaval!” Zai flings her arm round her husband’s neck, and kisses him in return. Like Cæsar’s wife, she renders unto Cæsar all that is his due--with interest. “Well?” “You don’t really believe I would ever do anything wrong, do you?” she whispers. “I believe you are an angel!” he says truthfully, “and that is why I won’t let anything of the earth--earthy, come near you!” But Zai, angel though she may be, has some of Eve’s curiosity in her. “I know Trixy did not like Mr. Stubbs when she married him. But she always said she did not want love or affection so long as she had a fine house and lots of diamonds,” she says, after a moment, and he reads in her face a longing to hear more. “Fishing!” he laughs. “No use, little one, to fish in shallow water, you know! I’m _not_ going to tell you anything about Trixy’s shortcomings now, and I hope I shall not have anything to tell you later. Never mind about Trixy, darling. Think about your husband. Will you miss him? I shall be away three or four days, I am afraid, for I have a lot of business to do. I have been living in Dreamland here so long that I have neglected everything--but you!” “Going to London for three or four days, Delaval?” she asks, with positive tears in her eyes. “Oh! I am so sorry.” “Nonsense, Zai. We can’t always be tied together, or we _may_ get tired of one another, you know!” he replies, with a careless smile. The little change to Town is quite an event to him, and he would not give it up for the world. “Tired of one another?” she says, with a little quiver of her lip. “You may be tired of me, but I shall _never_ be tired of you--_never_, so long as I live!” And he believes her. For loads of women have never tired of him, although he has treated them cruelly, and flung them aside, like old gloves or withered flowers.