Barnstable rose in turn. He seemed to be trying hard to adjust his mind to a new view of the situation, but it was evident enough that his brain was not of the sort to yield readily to fresh ideas of any kind. He examined his hat carefully, passing his thumb and forefinger round the rim as if to assure himself that it was all there; then he cleared his throat, and regarded the lawyer wistfully. "But I must do something," he repeated, with an air half apologetic. "I can't just let the thing go, can I?" "You can't do anything but let it go," was the answer. "Some time you will be glad that you did let it be. Take my word for it." Barnstable shook his head mournfully. "Then you take away my chance," he began, "of doing something--" He paused in evident confusion. "Of doing something?" repeated Harbinger. "Why, something, you know, to please--" "Oh, to please your wife? Well, just wait. Something will turn up sooner or later. Speaking of wives, I promised Mrs. Harbinger to come home to a tea or some sort of a powwow. What time is it?" "Yes, a small tea," Barnstable repeated with a queer look. "Pardon me, but is it too intrusive in me to ask if I may go home with you?" Harbinger regarded him in undisguised amazement; and quivers of embarrassment spread over Barnstable's wavelike folds of throat and chin. "Of course it seems to you very strange," the client went on huskily; "and I suppose it is etiquettsionally all wrong. Do you think your wife would mind much?" "Mrs. Harbinger," the lawyer responded, his voice much cooler than before, "will not object to anybody I bring home." The acquaintance of the two men was no more than that which comes from casual meetings at the same club. The club was, however, a good one, and membership was at least a guarantee of a man's respectability. "I happen to know," Barnstable proceeded, getting so embarrassed that there was reason to fear that in another moment his tongue would cleave to the roof of his mouth and his husky voice become extinct altogether, "that a person that I want very much to see will be there; and I will take it as very kind--if you think it don't matter,--that is, if your wife--" "Oh, Mrs. Harbinger won't mind. Come along. Wait till I get my hat and my bag. A lawyer's green bag is in Boston as much a part of his dress as his coat is." The lawyer stuffed some papers into his green bag, rolled down the top of his desk, and took up his hat. The visitor had in the meantime been picking from his coat imaginary specks of lint and smoothing his unsmoothable hair. "I hope I look all right," Barnstable said nervously. "I--I dressed before I came here. I thought perhaps you would be willing--" "Oh, ho," interrupted Harbinger. "Then this whole thing is a ruse, is it? You never really meant to bring a suit for libel?" The face of the other hardened again. "Yes, I did," was his answer; "and I'm by no means sure that I've given it up yet." III THE BABBLE OF A TEA