"What," was the thought that leaped into Tredennis' mind, "do we begin to compare Bertha with a king's favorite!" But he did not say it aloud--it was not for him to defend her against her husband's lightness; and were they not her own words, after all? And so he could only sit silent in the shadow of his darkening corner and knit his heavy brows with hot resentment in his heart, while Richard went on: "There are some few who make a profession of it," he said; "but they do not carry the most power. The woman who is ambitious for her husband, or eager for her son, or who wishes to escape from herself and find refuge in some absorbing excitement, necessarily is more powerful than the more sordid element. If I were going in for that kind of thing," he went on, settling himself in his favorite graceful, lounging posture, and throwing his arm lightly behind his head,--"if I were going in for it, and might make a deliberate choice, I think I should choose a woman who had something to forget,--a woman who had reached an emotional crisis--who was young, and yet who could not take refuge in girlish forgetfulness, and who, in spite of her youth, had lived beyond trusting in the future--a woman who represented beauty, and wit, and despair (the despair would be the strongest lever of all). There isn't a doubt of it that such a woman, taken at such a turning-point in her existence, could move--the world, if you like--the world itself;" and he arranged himself a trifle more comfortably, and half-laughed again. "But," suggested the professor, "you are not going in for that sort of thing, my dear Richard." "Oh, no, no!" answered Richard; "but _if_ I were, I must confess it would have a fascination for me which would not permit of my regarding it in cold blood. I am like Bertha, you know--I like my little drama." "And, speaking of Bertha," said the professor, "if anything should happen while you are away"-- "Now, really," said Richard, "that shows what a careless fellow I am! Do you know, it never once occurred to me that anything could happen. We have such an admirable record to look back upon, Bertha and I, though I think I usually refer the fact to Bertha's tact and executive ability; nothing ever has happened, and I feel that we have established a precedent. But, if anything should happen, you had better telegraph to Merritsville. In any ordinary event, however, I feel quite safe in leaving Bertha in your hands and Tredennis's," he said, smiling at the large shadow in the corner. "One is always sure, in the midst of the ruling frivolity, that Tredennis is to be relied on." He went away soon after, and Tredennis, bidding the professor good-night, left the house with him. As they passed down the steps Richard put his arm through his companion's with caressing friendliness.