Realising that she was rapidly losing ground by exercising her advantage

over Alfred in the matter of quick retort, Zoie, with her customary

cunning, veered round to a more conciliatory tone. "Well," she cooed,

"suppose I DID eat lunch with a man?"

"Ah!" shrieked Alfred, as though he had at last run his victim to earth.

She retreated with her fingers crossed. "I only said suppose," she

reminded him quickly. Then she continued in a tone meant to draw from

him his heart's most secret confidence. "Didn't you ever eat lunch with

any woman but me?"

"Never!" answered Alfred firmly.

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There was an unmistakable expression of pleasure on Zoie's small face,

but she forced back the smile that was trying to creep round her lips,

and sidled toward Alfred, with eyes properly downcast. "Then I'm very

sorry I did it," she said solemnly, "and I'll never do it again."

"So!" cried Alfred with renewed indignation. "You admit it?"

"Just to please you, dear," explained Zoie sweetly, as though she were

doing him the greatest possible favour.

"To please me?" gasped Alfred. "Do you suppose it pleases me to know

that you are carrying on the moment my back is turned, making a fool of

me to my friends?"

"Your friends?" cried Zoie with a sneer. This time it was her turn to be

angry. "So! It's your FRIENDS that are worrying you!" In her excitement

she tossed Alfred's now damaged hat into the chair just behind her. He

was far too overwrought to see it. "I haven't done you any harm," she

continued wildly. "It's only what you think your friends think."

"You haven't done me any harm?" repeated Alfred, in her same tragic key,

"Oh no! Oh no! You've only cheated me out of everything I expected to

get out of life! That's all!"

Zoie came to a full stop and waited for him to enumerate the various

treasures that he had lost by marrying her. He did so.

"Before we were married," he continued, "you pretended to adore

children. You started your humbugging the first day I met you. I refer

to little Willie Peck."

A hysterical giggle very nearly betrayed her. Alfred continued: "I was fool enough to let you know that I admire women who like

children. From that day until the hour that I led you to the altar,

you'd fondle the ugliest little brats that we met in the street, but the

moment you GOT me----"




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