Lorrimer was looking at her, and seemed to wait for her to speak; but she only showed by a change of expression that the fact of his brother being a lawyer possessed a special interest for her. "If you will trust us," he said at last, "perhaps we _can_ help you." "I wish I could," she answered, wistfully; "I came to tell you." "This sounds serious," Julian said, lightly. "You will have to begin at the beginning, you know. Come, Lorrimer, we'll go down the river. And," to Ideala, "you might tell us all about it on the way, you know." "Yes, come," said Lorrimer. Ideala rose to accompany them without a thought. It all came about so easily that no question of propriety suggested itself--and if any had occurred to her she would probably have considered it an insult to these gentlemen to suppose they would allow her to put herself in a questionable position; and when Julian lit a cigarette without asking her permission, she was surprised. On the way to the river Ideala's spirits rose again, and they all talked lightly, making a jest of everything; but while they were waiting for a boat, Julian took up a bunch of charms that were attached to Ideala's watch-chain and began to examine them coolly, and the unwonted familiarity startled her. With a sudden revulsion of feeling she turned to Lorrimer. She was annoyed by the slight indignity, and also a little frightened. Whatever Lorrimer may have thought of her before, he understood her look now, and his whole manner changed. Julian left them for a moment. "I _am_ so ashamed of myself," Ideala said. "I have made some dreadful mistake. I have done something wrong." "I am very sorry for you," he answered, gravely--and then, to his brother, who had returned--"You can go on if you like. I am going back." "Oh, we can't go on without you," Ideala inter-posed; "and I would rather go back too." They began to retrace their steps, and Lorrimer, as they walked, managed, with a few adroit questions, to learn from Ideala that the trouble had something to do with her husband. "Regy Beaumont is coming to me this afternoon," he said to his brother. "Would you mind being there to receive him?" They exchanged glances, and Julian took his leave. "Now, tell me," Lorrimer said to Ideala. But an unconquerable fit of shyness came over her the moment they were left alone together. "I cannot tell you," she answered. "It is too dreadful to speak of." "Your husband has done you some great wrong?" he said. "Yes." "Something for which you can get legal redress?" "Yes." "And that made you desperate?" "Yes." "And what did you do?" He put the question abruptly, startling Ideala, as he had intended. "_I_? Oh, I--did nothing," she stammered. There was a pause. "My ideal of marriage is a high one," he said at last, "and I should be very hard on any short-comings of that kind." Ideala longed to confide in him, but her shyness continued, and she walked by his side like one in a dream.