"Of course, it don't concern you, Mrs. Hamilton. I guess you'll be glad to have some more money to put in bath-tubs and libraries and gymnasiums. No, ma'am, it don't concern you. But it'll make some difference to our wives and daughters, I'm thinking--ten per cent. out of the pay-envelope every week. It'll take the curl out of my Sadie's false hair, all right." "There will be always some good in everything," Schmidt murmured cynically, but not loud enough for the Yankee to hear. Cicily was aware of the tension about her, and deemed it the part of wisdom to create a diversion. "What a coincidence!" she exclaimed, gayly. "Mrs. Schmidt and Mrs. Ferguson and Mrs. McMahon are all coming around here this afternoon. I invited them to attend a meeting of our club." The dignified face of Mr. Delancy, which was that of the old-school business man, clean-shaven save for the white tufts of side-whisker, was distorted by an emotion of genuine horror; his pink cheeks grew scarlet. "Cicily!" he gasped. Hamilton, too, was hardly less disconcerted, for all his familiarity with his wife's equalization whimsies. "Invited them here?" he questioned, frowning. The manner of both utterances was of a sort that must inevitably offend the husbands of the women. Cicily, with the sensitiveness of her sex, sought to cover the impression by speaking with a manner of increased enthusiasm. "Oh, yes," she answered. "Isn't it good of them? They have promised to return my call this afternoon." Ferguson yielded to a Yankee propensity for dry humour: "I only hope that Mr. Delancy and Mr. Hamilton won't be too nice to them." McMahon, too, would have made some comment; but Hamilton, who now perceived his blunder, which might have a disastrous effect on the attitude of these men toward him, hastened to make a diversion on his own account. "Now, men," he said, as affably as he could contrive, "I've made you acquainted with the difficulties and the necessities of the situation. As I said before, I depend on your loyalty.... Will you let me hear from you later in the afternoon to-day?" "You'll hear from us, all right," the Yankee assured his employer, with significant emphasis, before Schmidt had a chance to speak; and McMahon nodded agreement. Once again, Cicily strove to lighten the mood of the men. "If you're going away to think something over, be sure you come back in time to take your wives home, after they've joined the club. It's the Civitas Society, you know, for the up-lift of women." No sooner were the members of the committee out of the room than Cicily turned anxiously to her husband. "Oh, Charles," she exclaimed, "tell me! It's not true, is it, that there's to be a cut in wages at the factory?" Hamilton turned away impatiently from the appealing face. "Cicily," he said shortly, "Uncle Jim and I are very busy. We have business of the highest importance to discuss."