Pidge never passed Fanny’s door but she was pressed by something within to enter; yet her whole personal nature rebelled. Often for hours at her work, there was a gloomy semiconscious activity within her that kept urging its notice up to her mind. When she stopped to think, she would realize that she hadn’t gone into Fanny’s room that day, or that she must drop in to-night. It was so now, only more than ever, because Rufe had located her private horror and brought it to speech. On the second floor, returning from supper, she told Rufe to go on up, that she meant to see Fanny for a few minutes. “What to--come on, Pan, let’s go to a show somewhere!” he said suddenly. She shook her head. “There isn’t a clot of work stirring in my brain pan,” he went on. “I don’t want to go out. I’ve got to see Fanny----” He caught her sleeve. “It’s too hot to go up. Let’s go somewhere. Let’s get on a bus and go uptown----” She was too occupied in the thing she hated to do, to notice his concern. He spoke again: “I’m not going up there alone. You’re colder than a frog to live with anyway----” “Go out somewhere, Rufe, if you want to. Don’t mind me.” She didn’t hear his words, but she heard the crying of Fanny’s children. The door opened. Fanny stood there, but looked past her, over Pidge’s shoulder, and queerly enough Pidge thought of the words, “And Jove nods to Jove.” The hall door was then shut. “Wot you coming in here for--to scold me some more, Redhead?” “No, Fanny, to see you and the----” “I know why you come, all right. To find fault--that’s why, and you needn’t kill yourself, because I’m gettin’ along, so-so. Little old Fanny’s holdin’ her own--and that’s more’n you’re doin’.” Pidge looked into the crib. A core of fetid vapor hung above it, and Fanny’s words seemed to blend with it. “Think you can hold your job and hold a man, too, don’t you? Oh, yes, Redhead knows how. Redhead’s got it all worked out. Redhead can tell us all how to do it, oh, yes----” “What’s the matter, Fanny? Are you scolding, so I won’t start? I didn’t come to start something. Just came to see you. Wouldn’t you like to go out for an hour and have me stay with the--with the----” Pidge always halted this way. “Worried--eh? Worried about somethin’?” Fanny piped up. “Well, I’m not tellin’ anything--except you ain’t got your little mastiff tied to no corset string----” “What are you talking about, Fanny?” “Like to know. Wouldn’t you?” Pidge felt cold. She cared to know what the other meant. She didn’t say so, however. She knew a better way--an effective way that seemed to come out of depths within her that knew vast pasts and many lands, all strategies of men and maids, all secrets of tent and purdah, lattice and veil. “Don’t trouble, Fanny. I just came in to see how you were getting on. I’m so sorry, you know----” “Sorry----” Fanny laughed. “So sorry, dear--that you’re penned in this way--and Albert missing!” “Sorry!” Fanny screamed her mirth.