“I had no idea that Gloria didn’t have lots of money. Her second husband was Darral Knight, a man who had made a fortune in toilet preparations. It was he who gave her the house on Gramercy Square. Then she married Brooks Grosvenor and he settled an income on her when they were divorced. I always supposed that it was ample. Certainly from what I’ve heard of the man he would have it fixed so that she could not get anything but the income, and even that would be forfeited if she married again.” “The income isn’t large, not really large enough to afford such a big house, and Gloria has gone in debt a lot and now she’s working to pay it off. You see she’d have enough money if she would consent to live differently.” “But Gloria is not the sort of person who will ever live differently. I have often wondered how she got by in such a big house with perpetual guests and only two servants, but I suppose she just didn’t want to bother with any more. But that isn’t the reason you want her to get rid of George, is it? It really wouldn’t make any appreciable difference, would it?” “No—there are other reasons too, but I’m afraid to tell you.” “Something you don’t like to put into words?” Ruth nodded. “I think I know. I’ve thought of it myself and I don’t like to put it into words either, but I will, so that we can understand each other perfectly—a necessary thing if we are to help Gloria.” He paused looking at her, and seemingly trying to gather courage for what he was about to say. “You think that George is in love with his mistress.” Ruth’s horrified face revealed that Terry had put into words something quite foreign to anything in her thoughts. “Don’t look so horrified, it sounds terrible to us—it is terrible, but you must remember that George is a Hindoo, not a nigger, and that he is well educated, and that in many parts of the world, the idea of a black man loving a white woman is not so repugnant as it is here. I wouldn’t admit it for a long time myself, but it’s the only plausible explanation of a lot of things. Perhaps Gloria has told you that when she first met George he was a magician mahatma, who had been playing in London music halls and that he had been out of work for some time on account of illness. Out of gratitude, apparently, he offered to serve her. Later when he had quite recovered his health he could easily have gone back to his former work, but he didn’t go, though regardless of what Gloria pays him, it must be much less than he could make on the stage. If you’ve observed too, you will have seen that his attitude, while quite respectful, is never the attitude of a servant, and toward Gloria’s men friends his attitude is almost offensively disrespectful, especially when she is not present. He even hates me. I’ve thought for a long time that she ought to get rid of him, but I can’t go to her and tell her what I think, for certainly Gloria doesn’t suspect anything like that.”