Then, after she had stood motionless for a minute, she got into the trailer again, where a young man awaited her. Until their automobile was outside the cemetery neither of them spoke. Then: “I’ve been wondering,” said Annan, “what is your religion, Eris,--what particular denomination.” “Oh,” she said, “I am quite happy in any church. Or, in synagogue or mosque, I should feel no barrier between my mind and God’s.... Would you?” He could not say. * * * * * Annulment proceedings, not yet begun, never, of course, were. The status of Eris, its solution and dissolution, had been effected by another solution. Coal-tar. Chemistry had sundered the tie which, we are instructed, God alone manufactures. * * * * * When they arrived at No. 3 Governor’s Place, Eris went into the guest-room, where, centuries ago, she had lain abed under the roof of a man whose name even she did not know. “I want to lie down before dinner, Barry. May I?” “Yes. Can Mrs. Sniffen do anything for you?” But the girl said no, and turned down the lace spread. So Annan lowered the shades and went out to his study. At dinner Eris appeared very much herself, smiling, gaily inquisitive concerning Annan’s conduct during her recent absence, tenderly diverted to hear how intolerable he had found those few weeks without her. He became emphatic in recollection of his solitary misery. “Darling, we should not feel that way, ever,” she insisted. “Absence should be a stimulus to carry on. Otherwise----” she shrugged, stopped. But he knew she had meant death. “All right,” he said, “but I want to tell you that in that event, I follow. And that’s _that_!” He even borrowed her phrase to fix, irrevocably, their mutual positions. But without that the girl already knew,--deep, deep within her she had long known,--where the spring of their vital strength had its occult source. And more absolutely, more perfectly the knowledge made this man hers. Truly there was nothing else in the world for her; no other rival she ever could brook that claimed the mind and strength that she was giving to this man--and must always give as long as mind and strength endured. There still remained for the career of Eris an autumn, a winter, and a spring in California. Work was to begin very soon. This knowledge sobered their leave-taking that night. It tinged all their meetings and leave-takings, a little, during that otherwise perfect week in town. * * * * * She wore his betrothal ring when she went away. Annan stood the separation for a month, then went after her. During the winter Annan went three times to the Coast. Both, however, thought it best that he should not remain. * * * * * Eris made three pictures. Two were the species known as feature pictures; the third a super-picture.