"I've made a hard fight, Howard," she sobbed, "but I'm going to give up. I'm through--I'm through!" Howard took hold of her hand and carried it to his lips. "Annie, old girl," he said with some feeling, "I may be weak, I may be blind, but nobody on top of God's green earth can tell me that you're not the squarest, straightest little woman that ever lived! I don't care a damn what one million or eighty million think. Supposing you had received letters from Underwood, supposing you had gone to his rooms to beg him not to kill himself--what of it? It would be for a good motive, wouldn't it? Let them talk all the bad of you they want. I don't believe a word of it--you know I don't." She looked up and smiled through her tears. "You're so good, dear," she exclaimed. "Yes, I know you believe in me." She stopped and continued sadly: "But you're only a boy, you know. What of the future, the years to come?" Howard's face became serious, and she went on: "You see you've thought about it, too, and you're trying to hide it from me. But you can't. Your father wants you to go abroad with the family." "Well?" He waited and looked at her curiously as if wondering what her answer would be. He waited some time, and then slowly she said: "I think--you had better go!" "You don't mean that!" he exclaimed, in genuine surprise. She shook her head affirmatively. "Yes, I do," she said; "your father wants you to take your position in the world, the position you are entitled to, the position your association with me prevents you from taking----" Howard drummed his fingers on the tablecloth and looked out of the window. It seemed to her that his voice no longer had the same candid ring as he replied: "Yes, father has spoken to me about it. He wants to be friends, and I----" He paused awkwardly, and then added: "I admit I've--I've promised to consider it, but----" Annie finished his sentence for him: "You're going to accept his offer, Howard. You owe it to yourself, to your family, and to----" She laughed as she added: "I was going to say to a million anxious readers." Howard looked at her curiously. He did not know if she were jesting or in earnest. Almost impatiently he exclaimed: "Why do you talk in this way against your own interests? You know I'd like to be friendly with my family, and all that. But it wouldn't be fair to you." "I'm not talking against myself, Howard. I want you to be happy, and you're not happy. You can't be happy under these conditions. Now be honest with me--can you?" "Can you?" he demanded. "No," she answered frankly, "not unless you are." Slowly, she went on: "Whatever happiness I've had in life I owe to you, and God knows you've had nothing but trouble from me. I did wrong to marry you, and I'm willing to pay the penalty. I've evened matters up with your family; now let me try and square up with you." "Evened up matters with my family?" he exclaimed in surprise. "What do you mean?" With a smile she replied ambiguously: