She bent over it, wrinkling her brows. The letter was in a man's handwriting and the postscript, which was of nearly equal length, was in a woman's. “I don't know; if it was from anyone but Ocky----” “Precisely, Ocky's a fool. He's always been a fool and he's growing worse; but Jehane ought to have sounder sense. It's beyond me why she married him. I never did understand Jehane; I suppose I never shall.” “You're not a woman, Billy; or else you would. She was sick and tired of being lonely and dependent; she wanted someone to take care of her. Ocky was the only man who offered. But that's eight years ago--I'm afraid she's found him out; and she's doing her best to persuade herself that she hasn't. Poor Jehane, she always admired strong men--men she could worship.” “That explains but it doesn't excuse her. She had a strong man in Captain Spashett; the hurry of her second marriage was indecent. I never did approve of it. I said nothing at first because I thought she might help Ocky to grow a backbone.--And now there's this new folly, which she appears to encourage.” “But, dear, is it so foolish? Perhaps, she's given him a backbone and that's why he's done it.” She laughed nervously. “They both say that this is a great opportunity for him to better himself.” “Bah! The only way for Ocky to better himself is to change his character. He's a balloon--a gas-bag; he'll go up in the air and burst. The higher he goes, the further he'll have to tumble. You think I'm harsh with him; I know him. Jehane's done him no good; she despises him, I'm sure, though she doesn't think she shows it. She's filled his head with stupid ambitions and before she's done she'll land him in a mess. She's driven him to this bravado with private naggings; he wants to prove to her that he really is a man. Man! He's a child in her hands. It hurts me to watch them together. Why can't she be a wife to him and make up her mind that she's married a donkey?” “It's difficult for a woman to make up her mind to that--especially a proud, impatient woman.” He paid no attention to his wife's interruption, but went on irritably with what he was saying. “So he's giving up a secure job, and he's going into this harum-scarum plan for buying up the sands of Sandport for nothing and selling them as house-plots for a fortune. Even if there were anything in it, who's going to finance him? Of course he'll come to me as usual.” “But he says he's got the capital.” “That's just it--from where? His pocket always had a hole in it. When he says he's got money, I don't believe him; when he's proved his word I grow nervous.” Barrington leant across the table, rapping with his knuckles. “Ocky's the kind of amiable weak fellow who can easily be made bad--especially by a woman who refuses to love him. Once a man like that's gone under, you can never bring him back--he's lost what staying quality he ever had.”