"It's something very nasty." And Ethel began telling of Fanny's revelations. In the midst of it the door-bell rang. "One moment." And Sally went into the hall. "Whoever it is, say I've a headache," Ethel heard her tell the maid. "The same old headache," Sally remarked as she grimly pulled the portieres. They waited in a tense little silence till the visitor had gone. "And Alice," Sally called to the maid. "If any one else comes, say I'm out." She turned back to Ethel, smiling: "Suppose you stay to supper. I'll telephone my husband to dine at his club--and we'll go right on with this talk of ours. We'll go on," she added determinedly, "until we have Joe so in our toils that he'll be yours so long as he lives." Ethel suddenly sniffed and swallowed hard, and said, "Oh, what a dear you are to me!" Sally looked at her queerly. "This is to be a talk without tears, but much good sensible planning," she said. "I don't blame you a bit for having been frightened--you've been through an ugly time. But I think with a little common sense--" "I know," said Ethel, "that's just what I need. And that is why I came to you." "Thank you," Sally smiled again. "Now go on about Mrs. Carr." The talk went on, with interruptions for supper and Sally's two small children, far into the evening. And Mrs. Crothers did her share--filling in for Ethel the picture of Joe's old life, his work and dreams, and his first marriage. She told of several meetings with Amy. And all the time she kept watching, probing into this young second wife, skilfully raising Ethel's hopes, her vivid freshness and her youth, her hunger for a life she saw only in dazzling glimpses. "Do you want my advice about meeting Joe! Then here it is," she said at the end. "I needn't say don't go on your knees--" "You needn't!" "I thought so--you're not that kind. And I wouldn't explain too much about Dwight, and those little things you did with him. Make Joe take you on faith or not at all. Have a long talk and make him listen--don't give him a chance to say a word. Talk right on and give him the picture of his two wives, and then let him choose--between letting you go, while he takes her friends, or dropping them and keeping you and finding what he had before. I can help you in that--but before I do, I think you've got to lay a ghost. She's in the way of everything. She has been in your home long enough. And her strength is the fact that you and Joe never mention her name to each other. I wonder if you realize how great a danger that has been. At any rate I'm very sure that you must break the silence now. It has been like a spell between you." CHAPTER XXVI