Then she considered whether she should burn the letter or return it to her desk. She decided upon the latter course, and placed it for greater security in the concealed recesses of a secret drawer. The rest of the afternoon she spent listlessly in reading novels with yellow covers and playing on the piano. She had no visitors. When the dinner hour arrived the colonel had not reappeared. However, this did not greatly disturb her, as it was his custom on occasions to stay away from home, but when he decided to dine elsewhere he usually communicated through the telephone his intentions. He had neglected to do this, so Mrs. Clutterbuck decided, upon her own responsibility, to dine alone. She gave the necessary orders, and in due course the meal was served and discussed. After the things had been removed (she had taken her dinner in the boudoir) she lighted a cigarette. It was not a habit which met with her husband’s encouragement, but as he was not there to upbraid her she saw no reason why she should not indulge her taste for the fumes of nicotine. A little later the door was thrown open, and the colonel entered. He was pale, and his features worked. Evidently, he was in a violent passion. “You are quite a stranger,” she said, with a little laugh, “and I have dined without you. I did not feel your loss, because the _suprême de volaille_ was excellent. You see I am smoking. Take one?” He deliberately seized the proffered cigarette-case, and threw it with all his force against the wall. She shrugged her shoulders and laughed again. “What a child you are! You remind me of Ronny, and yet you are no relative of his.” “Are you a relative of his?” asked the colonel slowly, weighing every word as if he were afraid to trust his voice. “Why, yes. Did I not tell you that he was my nephew?” “And did you not tell me a lie?” There was a pause, and they looked at one another as a duelist regards an opponent--neither anxious to begin, both on guard. Again she laughed. “You are not very cheerful company this evening.” “Then I will make my visit as short as possible.” “Ah, you are paying me a visit, are you? You purpose obtaining a separation.” “There is no necessity for a separation.” “I see, then, you will obtain a divorce. I have always been told that in America there are special facilities for disjoining marriage ties. Is New York a good place for that sort of thing?” “There is no necessity, madame, to dissolve marriage ties.” “You are very, very serious this evening,” said Lucille, putting the cigarette in her mouth. “I hate conundrums. All this afternoon I have been worrying myself to find an answer to the riddle, why I became your wife?” “You never did become my wife,” replied the colonel shortly. Lucille turned pale, and then her face was suffused with color. She rose to her full height. “And you have come to tell me this?”