“We had red lamp-shades and candles and flowers--Everything shining, you know--Cordelia likes ’em that way.... When I try to think how it started I see ’em the way they looked that first night. I was proud of ’em both. I felt as if Cordelia belonged to me--and as if he did, too--in a way--” He looked at Eldridge. “I’d put him on to a good thing in business--!” “Yes.” “He and Cordelia laughed and talked the whole evening--kind o’ took it up--back and forth--the way you’d play ball. I could see Cordelia liked him. I was a fool. I’d waited about getting married till I had money enough to give a woman--to give her everything--and when she’d got it I never see there might be--something else she’d want.... I don’t just know what now--” He shook his head. “Some days, since I’ve got sure of it, I’ve felt as if it _couldn’t_ be so--as if she couldn’t have gone on living with me and having that other life--I didn’t know about--shut away from me--and I loving her....” The little, clear alcove moved before Eldridge and moved away. He was making absent marks on the edge of the pad before him. The man sighed. “Well--It isn’t any use! That’s all, I guess--” Eldridge looked up. “Had you thought of--winning her back?” The man shook his head. “I couldn’t do it.” He looked at him as if wondering whether he would understand. “There’s something about her I don’t get at,” he said slowly. “Isn’t there something about any woman you don’t get at?” said Eldridge. “That’s it!” assented the man. “It isn’t just Cordelia. It’s all of them--in back of ’em, somehow. I can’t tell you just how it is, but I’ve thought of it a lot--I guess there isn’t anything I haven’t thought of--since I knew--lying awake nights and thinking. Somehow, I knew, the first day it came to me--I knew there wasn’t any use... since the day I come on ’em at Merwin’s.” The lawyer’s hand, making its little marks, stopped--and went on. “They were at Merwin’s--together?” he said. “Everybody goes to Merwin’s,” said the man. “It wasn’t their being there; it was the way they looked when I saw ’em.... They were sitting in one of them little alcove places, you know--” Eldridge nodded. Yes--he knew. “The curtains were open--wide open,” said the man. “Anybody could ’a’ looked in. There wasn’t anything wrong about it. But I saw their faces--both of ’em--and I knew.... They were just sitting quiet--the way people do when they’re alone.... There’s something different about the way people sit--when they’re alone--by themselves--I don’t know as you’ve ever noticed it?” “I have noticed it,” said Eldridge. “Quiet and happy--” said the man, “and not talking--and not needing to talk.” He took up his hat. “Well--you know where to find me. I shan’t bother you like this again----” He stood up. Eldridge held out a hand. “I am glad you told me. It helps--to understand--the case.” The man’s thick face looked at him. “I don’t understand it myself,” he said, “but I’ve got to go through with it.” VIII