"My dear girl," he said, displeased, "why are you working yourself into a fever over this? It's most unfortunate, but as far as you're concerned, it's unavoidable, and you'll simply have to put a brave face on it, and get through it SOMEHOW! I am absolutely confident that when you've pulled yourself together you'll come through with flying colors. Of course everyone'll come; this is their chance to show you exactly how little they ever think of you as Breckenridge's wife! And this is your chance, too, to act as if you'd never heard of him. Dash it! it does spoil our little party, but it can't be helped!" "Do you suppose Billy's with him?" Rachael asked, her absent, glittering eyes fixed upon her own person as she sat before her mirror. "Oh, no--she and Pickering sailed yesterday for England--that's the dreadful thing for her. Clarence evidently spent the whole night at the club, sitting in the library, thinking. Berry Stokes went in for his mail after the theatre, and they had a little talk. He promised to dine there to-night. At about ten this morning Billings, the steward there, saw old Maynard going out--Maynard's one of the directors--and asked him if he wouldn't please go and speak to Mr. Breckenridge. Mayn went over to him, and Clarence said, 'Anything you say--'" Rachael gave a gasp that was like a shriek, and put her two elbows on the dressing-table, and her face in her hands. It was Clarence's familiar phrase. "Oh, don't--don't--don't--Greg!" "Well, that was all there was to it," her husband said, watching her anxiously. "He had the thing in his pocket. He stood up--everybody heard it. Fellows came rushing in from everywhere. They got him to a hospital." "Florence is with him, of course?" "Florence is at Palm Beach." "Then who IS with him, Greg?" "My dear girl, how do I know? It's none of my affair!" Rachael sat still for perhaps two minutes, while her husband, ostentatiously cheerful, moved about the room selecting a change of clothes. "To-morrow you can take it as hard as you like, sweet," said he. "But to-night you'll have to face the music! Now get into something warm--it's a little cool out--and I'll take you for a spin, and we'll have dinner somewhere. Then we'll get back here about eight o'clock, and take our time dressing."