any lapse of respect in attitude toward her, the entire unconsciousness of the insult to her whole nature, in his assumption of a divine right of individual growth and development to which she had no claim, stung her beyond all power of speech. The very fact that he had no comprehension of the affront himself, added to it its utterly hopeless feature. The love of a man offered on such terms is an insult, she said, over and over to herself; but aloud she said nothing. She had heard, vaguely, through her tumult of feeling, his terms of endearment, his appeals to her tenderness and--alas! unfortunately for him--his apologies for having taken her to such a place. She became distinctly aware of these latter first and it steadied her. They had reached Washington Square. "Yes, that revelation in Mulberry Street was a horrible shock to me," she said, looking at him for the first time since they had entered the carriage; "but, do you know, I think there are more shocking things than even that done in the name of love every day--things as heartless and offensively uncomprehending of what is fine and true in life as that wretched woman's conduct with the lifeless form of her baby." He recognized a hard ring in her voice, but her eyes looked kind and gentle. "How do you mean?" he asked, touching her hand as it lay on her empty purse in her lap. "I don't believe I could ever make you understand what I mean, we are so hopelessly far apart," she said, a little sadly. "That an explanation is necessary--that is the hopeless part. That that poor woman did not comprehend that her conduct and callousness were shocking--_that_ was the hopeless part. To make you understand what I mean would be like making her understand all the hundreds of awful things that her conduct meant to us. If it is not in one's nature to comprehend without words, then words are useless." His vehement protests stirred her sympathy again. "You say that love brings people near together. Do you know I am beginning to think that nothing could be a greater calamity than that? Drawn together by a love that rests on a physical basis for those who refuse to allow it root in a common sympathy and a community of thought it must fail sooner or later. A humbled acceptance of the crumbs of her husband's life, or a resentful endurance of it, may result from the accursed faithfulness or the pitiful dependence of wives, but surely--surely no greater calamity could befall her and no worse fate lie in wait for him." Her lover stared at her, pained and puzzled. When they reached her door he grasped her hand. "I thought you loved me last night, and I went away in an ecstasy of hope. Today--"