As for Maurice, he continued to discuss her future of rectitude and honor--his imagination reaching in a bound amazing heights. Why not be a trained nurse?--and have a hospital of her own, and gather about her, as assistants, girls who--"well, had had a tough time of it," he said, delicately. As he talked, fatigue at the boredom of his highly moral sentiments crept into her face. She swallowed an occasional yawn, and murmured to most of his statements, "Is that so?" She was sleepy, and wished he would stop talking.... "Guess I'll be going along," she said, good-naturedly. "I'll come and see you to-morrow," Maurice said, impassioned with the idea of saving her; "then I'll tell you what my wife will do for you." They went out together and walked toward Lily's rooms; but somehow they both fell silent. Lily was again afraid of Batty, and Maurice's exhilaration had begun to ebb; there came into his mind the bleak remembrance of the overturned table and Eleanor's sobs.... At the door of the apartment house where Lily lived, she said, nervously, "I'd ask you to come in, but he--" "Oh, I understand; I've no desire to meet the gentleman! What time will I come to-morrow, when he's not around?" She reflected, uneasily: "Well, I ain't sure--" Before she could finish, Batty loomed up beside them. He was plainly drunk. "I lost my key," he said; "and I've been waiting--" "Good night, Miss Lily," Maurice said,--"If he's nasty to her, I'll go back," he thought. He was only halfway down the block when he heard a little piping scream--"O-o-o-w! O-o-o-w!" He turned, and saw her trying to pull her hand away from Batty's twisting grip: he was at her side in a moment: "Here! _Drop_ it!" he said, sharply--and landed an extremely neat blow on the drunken man's jaw. Batty, rubbing his cheek, and staring at this very unexpected assailant in profound and giggling astonishment, slouched into the house. "He 'most twisted my hand off!" Lily said; "oh, ain't he the beast?" She cringed and shook her bruised wrist, then gave Maurice an admiring look. "My soul and body! you lit into him good!" she said; "what am I going to do? I'm afraid to go in." "If I had a house of my own," Maurice said, "I'd take you home, and my wife would look after you. But we are boarding.... Haven't you some friend you could go to for to-night? ... To-morrow my wife will come and see you," he declared. "Oh, gracious me, no!" In the midst of her anger she couldn't help laughing. ("He's a reg'lar baby!" she thought.) "No; your wife's a busy society lady, I'm sure. Don't bother about me. I'll just wait round till he goes to sleep." She dabbed at her eyes with a little wet ball of a handkerchief. "Here, take mine," he said. And with this larger and dryer piece of linen, she did manage to make her face more presentable. "When he's asleep, I'll slip in," she said.