It was this information that reminded Mrs. Tate to ask Blanche if she were sorry she had given up her plunge and if she ever wished to resume it. Though she had at first been impressed by the solution of Blanche's troubles suggested by her husband, she had on sober second thought dismissed it as ridiculously romantic; such things might happen in novels, but they never could occur in real life. Her belief was shaken, however, when she saw the pale face light up at her question. "Oh, yes," Blanche cried, "I have thought of it. Sometimes--sometimes I think it would be better if I hadn't given it up. Then--then that woman wouldn't have come." Her eyes filled with tears, but she controlled herself and, a moment later, she went on:-- "But I--I thought it was wrong for me to risk my life, and it made me so unhappy for Jeanne's sake. But sometimes I think I might have stopped being afraid. Before Jeanne was born I never had the least thought of fear, even after father was killed, because I knew that was because the trapeze was weak. Oh, I'm sure," she went on piteously,--"I'm _sure_ I shouldn't be afraid any more!" "But Dr. Broughton, you remember what he said, don't you?" "He said that when I stopped making the plunge I should be better," Blanche replied simply. "But I'm not better; I feel worse,--oh, so much worse! I know I should be better if I tried it again. And I sha'n't be afraid any more," she repeated,--"even for Jeanne. It would be so much better for us all!" This speech made Mrs. Tate wonder if, as her husband had suggested, Blanche had divined that Jules had cared for her performance rather than for herself, and fancied she could win him back by resuming it. Her interest increased when she learned that Jules and Miss King had not spoken to each other for two evenings. Miss King's maid, who had at last come from Manchester, and who knew a little Canadian French, had told Madeleine about it. Jules had urged Miss King to accept Marshall's terms, and was vexed with her because she refused and threatened to go back to America. This had made him even more disagreeable at home than he had been before; for the past few days he had not spoken one pleasant word to them, and he had not even noticed Jeanne. It was this information that rang in Mrs. Tate's consciousness when she had left the apartment. Jules and that woman had quarrelled! Of course, they would make it up again,--perhaps in a few days, perhaps that very day; but if they did not, the quarrel might be one of the means of winning him back to his wife. At any rate, she would speak to her husband about it. When, on her return home, she did speak, he burst out laughing. "I don't see how you can find anything funny in that!" she said resentfully. "It's a very serious matter." "But it threatens to spoil my beautiful little romance!" "Your beautiful romance? What do you mean?"