On our way there we discussed Chairo's interview with Neaera. "You may depend upon it," said Ariston, "she has lost Masters, and is making a desperate effort to get back Chairo." "And she had Lydia secreted in an adjoining room," guessed I. "That's it," said Ariston; "she is a devil!" "But can Chairo insist on the publication of his letter?" asked I. "Certainly," said Ariston. "In this we have but copied an admirable provision of the French law in your time. We have added to it a right for every man to prohibit any paper from publishing any matter regarding his private movements or his private affairs. The effect of this rule is that as every paper wants to be free to publish what is known as society news, and it can only do so with the tacit consent of those who make up society, it has to take care to publish nothing that even borders on libel. Libel and slander, I think I have told you, we regard as one of the greatest of social crimes." We found the editor of "Sacrifice" in a condition of sanctimonious self-satisfaction. His article had produced a sensation, and he was triumphant in the thought that he was accomplishing for the cult what the cult itself was too feeble to accomplish for itself. He assumed an air of portentous gravity when he learned the object of our visit. "I hold Chairo in the hollow of my hand," said he, "and I do not mean to let him off." "You will have to publish his letter," insisted Ariston. "I shall publish his letter and I shall brand it as a lie," retorted the editor. "You will do so at your peril," answered Ariston. "I fear no consequences," said the little man, straightening himself in his editorial chair. "When Chairo denies that he was at Masters's rooms between ten and eleven yesterday morning, and Lydia denies that she was there at the same hour, it will be time to resume investigation. So bare a denial as this"--and he threw Chairo's letter contemptuously down on his desk--"is not worth the paper it is written on." "What is your proof of the correctness of your statement?" asked Ariston. "I need not produce it," said the editor pompously, "but I have nothing to conceal," and after looking among the papers on his desk, he found and handed us a typewritten statement of the fact constituting the alleged libel. I was pretty sure that I detected here the hand of Neaera. "Before publishing this anonymous statement," continued the editor, "I was careful to confirm it. The janitor of the building, upon being questioned by me in person as to who had passed his lodge during the hour in question, mentioned, of his own accord, both Chairo and Lydia. They arrived each alone and at an interval of a few minutes. It was an assignation. There is no doubt of it." "You had best not tell Chairo so," said Ariston. "Don't threaten me, sir," exclaimed the editor. "Your own rôle in this matter will not bear investigation." Ariston rose suddenly and advanced on the editor, but I interfered.