Late that evening, in a hooded rickshaw she crossed the short distance which led to the Embassy. Mr. Forsyth had just arrived. Mr. Forsyth was very displeased to hear Mrs. Barrington announced. It was just the kind of meeting which would exasperate and unnerve him. Her appearance was against her. She wore a Japanese kimono, unpleasantly reminiscent of Yaé. Her hair was disordered and frantic-looking. Her eyes were red with weeping. "Let me say at once," observed Reggie, as he offered her a chair, "that I am in no way responsible for your husband's shortcomings. I have too many of my own." Asako could never understand Reggie when he talked in that sarcastic tone. "I want to know exactly what happened," she begged. "I have no one else who can tell me." "Your husband says that nothing actually happened," replied Reggie brutally. The girl realised that this statement was far from being the vindication of Geoffrey which she had begun to hope for. "But what did you actually see?" she asked. "I saw Miss Smith with your husband. As it was in my house, they might have asked my leave first." Asako shivered. "But do you think Geoffrey had been--love-making to Miss Smith?" "I don't know," said Reggie wearily. "From what I heard, I think Miss Smith was doing most of the love-making to Geoffrey; but he did not seem to object to the process." Asako's yearnings for proof of her husband's innocence were crushed. "What shall I do?" she pleaded. "I'm sure I don't know." This scene to Reggie was becoming positively silly. "Take him back to England as soon as possible, I should think." "But would he fall in love with women in England?" "Possibly." "Then what am I to do?" "Grin and bear it. That's what we all have to do." "Oh, Mr. Forsyth," Asako implored, "you know my husband so well. Do you think he is a bad man?" "No, not worse than the rest of us," answered Reggie, who felt quite maddened by this talk. "He is a bit of a fool, and a good deal of a blunderer." "But do you think Geoffrey was to blame for what happened?" "I have told you, my dear Mrs. Barrington, that your husband assured me that nothing actually happened. I am quite sure this is true, for your husband is a very honourable man--in details." "You mean," said Asako, gulping out the words, "that Miss Smith was not actually Geoffrey's--mistress; they did not--sin together." Asako did not know how intimate were the relations between Reggie and Yaé. She did not understand therefore how cruelly her words lanced him. But, more than the shafts of memory it was the imbecility of the whole scene which almost made the young man scream. "Exactly," he answered. "In the words of the Bible, she lay with him, but he knew her not." "Then, do you think I ought to forgive Geoffrey?" This was too much. Reggie leaped to his feet.