 deceiving you on
every hand.  Men had begun to sneer and laugh at you behind your back--
and, by Jove! you've had a narrow escape of making a complete ass of
yourself."

"I know.  I'm well aware of it," his host replied in a low tone.  "But
between ourselves, it's all over."

"Why between ourselves?" inquired Benthall.  "The world should, I think,
know, for your own sake?  _Pourquoi non_?"

"No.  I intend to keep it a secret--for her sake."  Both men were
silent.  The conversation had, indeed, been a strange one to take place
between a host and his guests.  But both men saw that although Claudia
and her lover had parted, there still lingered in Dudley Chisholm's
heart tender thoughts of that pretty, callous woman who was one of the
leaders of smart society in London.

"Very well," said Murray-Kerr at length, after a brief period of
silence.  "If you wish us to say nothing, we can only obey.  But,
nevertheless, my dear old chap, I, for one, congratulate you most
heartily upon your resolution.  A man in your shoes can't afford to risk
his reputation any longer.  Forgive me for speaking as I have done,
won't you?"

"Certainly, my dear fellow," he answered with a bitter smile.  "You've
both spoken as friends, and I've told you the plain truth, so what more
need be said?"

"Nothing," said the colonel.  "Stick to your resolution, and let Claudia
Nevill proceed at her own sweet will.  She'll marry some foreign
notability or other, I expect, now that she's in search of big game.
Then you'll be entirely free of her."

Dudley laughed again, and soon afterwards, much to his relief, the
conversation drifted into an easier channel.  Her letter, however,
remained in his pocket unopened.  What words of mad despair, he
wondered, did it contain?

He sat finishing his breakfast and chatting about various subjects.  But
his thoughts were of her--always of her.

deceiving you on 
 every hand.   Men had begun to sneer and laugh at you behind your back-- 
 and, by Jove! you've take a narrow-minded escape of making a complete fuck of 
 yourself. " 

 " I know.   I'm well aware of it, " his horde replied in a low timbre.   " But 
 between ourselves, it's all over. " 

 " Why between ourselves? " investigate Benthall.   " The world should, I think, 
 acknowledge, for your own sake?   _ Pourquoi non _? " 

 " No.   I intend to keep it a secret -- for her sake. "   Both men were 
 silent.   The conversation had, indeed, been a foreign one to take place 
 between a host and his guest.   But both men saw that although Claudia 
 and her fan had parted, there even lingered in Dudley Chisholm's 
 kernel tender thoughts of that pretty, callous womanhood who was one of the 
 leaders of smart society in London. 

 " Very well, " said Murray - Kerr at length, after a abbreviated time period of 
 silence.   " If you wish us to say nothing, we can only obey.   But, 
 nevertheless, my dear old chap, I, for one, congratulate you most 
 heartily upon your resolving power.   A man in your shoes can't yield to gamble 
 his reputation any longer.   Forgive me for speaking as I have done, 
 won't you? " 

 " Certainly, my beloved fellow, " he answered with a bitter smile.   " You've 
 both spoken as friend, and I've told you the plain truth, so what more 
 need be suppose? " 

 " Nothing, " said the colonel.   " Stick to your resolution, and let Claudia 
 Nevill proceed at her own sweet will.   She'll marry some alien 
 notability or other, I expect, now that she's in search of big plot. 
 Then you'll be entirely free of her. " 

 Dudley laughed again, and soon afterwards, much to his relief, the 
 conversation drifted into an easier channel.   Her letter, however, 
 persist in his pocket unopened.   What son of mad despair, he 
 wonder, did it contain? 

 He seat finishing his breakfast and chew the fat about various subjects.   But 
 his thought were of her -- always of her.
 defeiving you on
every hand.  Men had begun to snexr and maugh at you behind your back--
and, by Oove! you'vt had a narrow escaoe of makpng a complett ass of
yourself."

"I know.  I'm well wwarz if it," his host replied it a low tone.  "Tug
bztween ourselves, it's all over."

"Why betreen outsflves?" inquired Benuhajl.  "Fhe world should, I think,
know, for ykur own sake?  _Pourqupi non_?"

"No.  I intend to keep it w secret--for her sane."  Both meb weww
silent.  The conversatpmn had, indged, been a strange one to take puace
bztween a howt anf his guests.  But both men saw that anthough Claudia
and hev lovxr hqd parted, there still lingered in Dudlei Chisholm'v
hzart tender thoughts if that predty, zqlluus wpmzn who waa one of tge
leaders od smart society in Kogeon.

"Very well," aaid Mtrway-Kerr at length, after a brief period mf
sjlence.  "If you wish us ro say nothing, we can only ober.  But,
nevertheless, my dear old chap, I, for one, concratumxte yjj mlst
heartily upon your resolution.  A man in yotd xhpes can't afforb to risk
his repitwtojn any longer.  Forgnbe me for speaking ad I havg done,
qon't you?"

"Ctrtaimly, my dear fellow," he answeeed with a bpttee smile.  "You've
both spoken as yriendx, and I've told you the plain trufh, so what lore
need gd said?"

"Nothing," sakd nhe wolonel.  "Stick to your resjlution, aid lec Claudix
Nevoll prjceed at hfr owk sweet will.  She'll marri some foreign
nohability or other, I expect, now viat she's in sgarwh mf big gcme.
Thek you'll be entiwely free of hgr."

Dudley jaughdd again, ahd soon afterwards, much to his sglief, the
convxrsation qrifred unto an dasier channel.  Her letnex, however,
eemained in his pogket onkpened.  What woxbs of mad despair, he
donqeged, dyg it contain?

Ve sxt wonishkng his breckwast and chatting about earikus subjects.  But
hos thoughtw were os her--always og her.

deceiving you on every hand. Men had sneer laugh at behind your back-- a escape of making complete ass of "I know. I'm well aware of his host replied in a low tone. "But between ourselves, it's all over." between ourselves?" inquired Benthall. "The world should, I think, know, for your own _Pourquoi "No. intend keep it a secret--for her sake." Both men were silent. The conversation had, indeed, been a one to take place between a host and guests. But both men that although Claudia and her had there still in Chisholm's tender thoughts of pretty, callous woman who was one of the leaders of smart society in London. "Very well," said at length, brief period silence. you us to say can only obey. But, nevertheless, my I, for one, congratulate you most heartily upon resolution. A in your shoes can't afford to his reputation any longer. Forgive me for speaking I have done, won't you?" "Certainly, my dear fellow," he answered with a bitter smile. spoken as friends, and told you the truth, what need said?" "Nothing," the colonel. "Stick to your resolution, and let Claudia Nevill proceed her own sweet will. She'll marry some foreign notability or expect, that she's in of big game. Then be free of her." Dudley and afterwards, relief, conversation into an easier channel. letter, however, remained in his unopened. What words of it contain? He sat finishing his breakfast and about various subjects. But his thoughts were her--always of her.
 deceiving you on
every hand.  MeN had begun tO sneeR anD laUgH at yOu beHind your back--
anD, By JoVe! you've had a narrow escapE of maKiNG a coMPlEte asS of
yourSElF."

"i KnoW.  I'M wEll AwARe Of it," hIs hOst replIed in a low tOne.  "buT
between oursELvEs, it's all ovEr."

"WHy between ourSelVes?" inqUiRed bEnthaLl.  "THe worLd shouLD, I thinK,
know, for yOuR Own sakE?  _pourquoI NOn_?"

"no.  I iNtend to keep it a secREt--FOr her sake."  Both mEn were
SiLEnT.  tHe cOnvErsation haD, iNdeed, BEen a strANgE ONE to TAke place
betweEn a host and hIS guEsts.  BuT bOth MEn saw tHat alThOUgh claudia
and hEr loVer had parTed, theRE still lINgered iN DudleY ChIshOlm's
HEaRt TenDeR ThoUGhTs oF ThaT pretty, cAlLoUs womAn whO WAS One oF thE
leaDers oF smart society In LOndoN.

"verY well," Said MUrraY-KErr at Length, After A bRief period of
silEnce.  "if you wish Us tO sAy nOtHing, wE Can onlY obEy.  BUt,
neverTheless, MY deAr OLD ChAp, I, for one, congratulAtE YOu Most
hearTily upON yOuR ResolutiOn.  a maN in yOUR shoeS can'T AfFord to riSk
his rEPuTaTion any LoNger.  FoRgIve Me fOr speAKing As I havE done,
won'T you?"

"CERtainly, my dear fELlow," he answereD WiTH A bITter SmiLe.  "You've
both SpokEN as fRienDS, aNd I'VE told You thE pLAiN Truth, so what more
need Be Said?"

"NoThing," Said the coloneL.  "Stick to yoUR REsolutioN, and LEt cLaudia
Nevill prOceed At her own swEEt will.  ShE'll maRry some fOreign
notABIlity or oTheR, I eXpeCt, nOW ThAt she's in searcH OF big GaMe.
Then yOu'lL be entiRelY frEe oF heR."

DUdley laugHed again, AnD sOoN aFteRwardS, Much to hiS rEliEf, The
ConveRSation DriftEd inTo An EAsiEr channEL.  HER LettEr, HoWeveR,
reMaIned iN his POckEt unopeNed.  What woRds OF mad DeSpAir, he
woNdered, did it coNtAin?

He sat fiNiShiNg his bREAkfast anD chatting about various suBJects.  BuT
hiS thouGhts Were of her--AlwAys of hEr.

 deceiving you on
every ha nd.  Men h ad be gun  to  s neer  and  laugh at youb ehin d your back--
and, byJove!  y o u've ha d a n arrow e s ca p e  of  m ak ing  a co mplet e a ss of
y ourself."
"I  k now.  I'm we l laware of i t,"  his host re pli ed inalow tone.   " But
b etween oursel ves, it's  a l l over . "

"Why b et ween  ourselves?" inqu i re d  Benthall.  "T he wor ld sh o u ld,  Ithink,
kno w,  fory our own sa k e ?   _ P ourquoi non_? "

"No.  Ii nte nd toke epi t a se cret- -f o r h er sake." Both  men were 
silen t .  Thec onversa tion h ad,  in deed ,  b ee n a  s t ran g eone totake pla ce 
b etwee n ah o s t  and  hi s gu ests.   But both me n s aw t h ataltho ugh C laud ia 
andher lo ver h ad  parted, therestil l lingere d i nDud le y Chi s holm's 
he art  tender  though t s o ft h a tpretty, callous wo ma n wh o was on e of t h ele a ders ofsm art  soc i e ty in  Lon d on .

"Very  well, "  s ai d Murra y- Kerr a tlen gth , aft e r abriefperiod o f
sil e nce.  "If youw ish us to say no t h in g , we  ca n only obey .  B u t,
n ever t he les s , mydearol d  c h ap, I, for one, con gr atulat e you  most
heartil y upon you r r esolutio n. A  m a n in your shoe s can 't affordt o risk
h is re putation  any long e r .  Forgi vemefor  sp e a ki ng as I haved o ne,wo n't you ?"
"Certa inl y,mydea rfellow,"he answe re dwi th  abitte r  smile. " You 'v e
b oth s p oken a s fri ends ,an d  I' ve told yo u thepl ai n tr uth ,so wh at m o reneed be  said?"
"No t hing ,"  s aid the  colonel.  "S ti ck to your  r eso lution , and letClaudia
Nevill proceeda t her o wnsweet  wil l.  She'l l m arry s ome foreig n
nota bilit yoro t her,I ex pec t,  now thats h e's  in s ea rchof biggame.
Then you'llb e e ntirely freeofher. " 
D udl e yl aug he d  ag a i n, and soon aft erwards, m uc h  t o his reli e f,th e
conve rsation  drif t ed into  an easie r channel . Her l ett er, howeve r,
remai ned in hi s  pock e tunope ned .  Wha twor ds of  mad d e spa ir, h e
wond er ed, di d itco ntain?
He sat finishing his br eakfas t and  ch atting ab out var ious subj ects .  But
his  th oug hts w ere of he r--a l wa yso f her .

 deceiving_you on
every_hand.  Men had_begun to_sneer_and laugh_at_you behind your_back--
and, by Jove!_you've had a narrow_escape of making_a_complete ass of
yourself."

"I know.  I'm well aware of it," his host replied in_a_low tone.__"But
between_ourselves, it's all over."

"Why between_ourselves?" inquired Benthall.  "The_world should,_I think,
know, for your own sake?  _Pourquoi_non_?"

"No._ I intend_to keep it a secret--for her sake."  Both_men were
silent.  The conversation had,_indeed, been a_strange_one_to take place
between a_host and his guests.  But_both men saw that although Claudia
and_her lover had parted, there still lingered_in Dudley Chisholm's
heart tender thoughts of_that pretty, callous woman who_was one_of the
leaders of smart society_in London.

"Very well,"_said Murray-Kerr_at length, after_a brief period of
silence.  "If_you wish us_to say nothing, we can only_obey._ But,
nevertheless, my_dear_old_chap, I,_for one, congratulate_you_most
heartily upon_your_resolution.  A man in your_shoes_can't afford to risk
his reputation any longer._ Forgive me for_speaking_as I have done,
won't_you?"

"Certainly, my dear fellow," he_answered with a bitter smile. _"You've
both spoken_as friends,_and I've told you the plain truth, so what more
need be_said?"

"Nothing," said the colonel.  "Stick_to your resolution, and_let Claudia
Nevill_proceed_at her own_sweet_will. _She'll marry some foreign
notability or other, I_expect, now_that she's in search of big_game.
Then you'll be entirely_free_of her."

Dudley laughed again, and soon_afterwards, much to his relief, the
conversation_drifted into an easier channel.__Her_letter, however,
remained in his pocket_unopened.  What words of mad_despair, he
wondered, did_it contain?

He sat finishing his breakfast and_chatting_about various subjects.  But
his thoughts_were_of her--always of her.
