nd　fame。　　So　strongly　did　the　delusion　presently　become；　that　she　was　looking　at　the　little　general　with　anything　but　unfavorable　eyes。　　He　seemed　to　her　a　quaint；　fascinating；　benevolent　necromancer；　having　miraculous　powers　which　he　was　exercising　in　her　behalf。　She　even　reproached　herself　with　ingratitude　in　not　being　wildly　in　love　with　him。　　Would　not　any　other　girl；　in　her　place；　have　fallen　over　ears　in　love　with　this　marvelous　man？
  However；　while　she　could　not　quite　convince　herself　that　she　loved；　she　became　convinced　without　effort　that　she　was　happy；　that　she　was　going　to　be　still　happier。　The　excitement　wrought　her　into　a　state　of　exaltation　and　swept　her　through　the　wedding　ceremony　and　the　going　away　as　radiant　a　bride　as　a　man　would　care　to　have。
  There　is　much　to　be　said　against　the　noisy；　showy　wedding。　　Certainly　love　has　rarely　been　known　to　degrade　himself　to　the　point　of　attending　any　such。　　But　there　is　something　to　be　said　for　that　sort　of　married　startfor　instance；　where　love　is　neither　invited　nor　desired；　an　effort　must　be　made　to　cover　the　painful　vacancy　his　absence　always　causes。
  The　little　general's　insistence　on　a　‘‘real　wedding''　was　most　happy　for　him。　　It　probably　got　him　his　bride。
  III
  THE　intoxication　of　that　wedding　held　on　long　enough　and　strongly　enough　to　soften　and　blunt　the　disillusionments　of　the　first　few　days　of　the　honeymoon。　　In　the　prospect　that　period　had　seemed；　even　to　Mildred's　rather　unsophisticated　imagination；　appalling　beyond　her　power　to　endure。　　In　the　factthanks　in　large　part　to　that　intoxicationit　was　certainly　not　unendurable。　　A　human　being；　even　an　innocent　young　girl；　can　usually　bear　up　under　any　experience　to　which　a　human　being　can　be　subjected。　　The　general　in　pajamas　of　the　finest　silk　and　of　pigeon's…egg　blue　with　a　vast　gorgeous　monogram　on　the　pocketwas　more　grotesque；　rather　than　more　repellent；　than　the　general　in　morning　or　evening　attire。　　Also　hethat　is；　his　expert　staff　of　providers　of　luxuryhad　arranged　for　the　bride　a　series　of　the　most　ravishing　sensations　in　whisking　her；　like　the　heroine　of　an　Arabian　Night's　tale；　from　straitened　circumstances　to　the　very　paradise　of　luxury。
  The　general's　ideas　on　the　subject　of　woman　were　old　fashioned；　of　the　hard…shell　variety。　　Woman　was　made　for　luxury；　and　luxury　was　made　for　woman。　　His　woman　must　be　the　most　divinely　easeful　of　the　luxurious。　At　all　times　she　must　be　fit　and　ready　for　any　and　every　sybaritic　idea　that　might　enter　her　husband's　headand　other　purpose　she　had　none。　　When　she　was　not　directly　engaged　in　ministering　to　his　joy　she　must　be　busy　preparing　herself　for　his　next　call　upon　her。　　A　woman　was　a　luxury；　was　the　luxury　of　luxuries；　must　have　and　must　use　to　their　uttermost　all　capacities　for　gratifying　his　senses　and　his　vanity。　Alone　with　him；　she　must　make　him　constantly　feel　how　rich　and　rare　and　expensive　a　prize　he　had　captured。　When　others　were　about；　she　must　be　constantly　making　them　envy　and　admire　him　for　having　exclusive　rights　in　such　wonderful　preserves。　　All　this　with　an　inflexible　devotion　to　the　loftiest　ideals　of　chastity。
  But　the　first　realizations　of　her　husband's　notions　as　to　women　were　altogether　pleasant。　　As　she　entered　the　automobile　in　which　they　went　to　the　private　car　in　the　special　train　that　took　them　to　New　York　and　the　steameras　she　entered　that　new　and　prodigally　luxurious　automobile；　she　had　a　first；　keen　sense　of　her　changed　position。　　Then　there　was　the　superb　private　carher　car；　since　she　was　his　wifeand　there　was　the　beautiful　suite　in　the　magnificent　steamer。　　And　at　every　instant　menials　thrusting　attentions　upon　her；　addressing　her　as　if　she　were　a　queen；　revealing　in　their　nervous　tones　and　anxious　eyes　their　eagerness　to　please；　their　fear　of　displeasing。　　And　on　the　steamer；　from　New　York　to　Cherbourg；　she　was　never　permitted　to　lose　sight　of　the　material　splendors　that　were　now　hers。　All　the　servants；　all　the　passengers；　reminded　her　by　their　looks；　their　tones。　　At　Paris；　in　the　hotel；　in　the　restaurants；　in　the　shopsespecially　in　the　shops　those　snobbish　instincts　that　are　latent　in　the　sanest　and　the　wisest　of　us　were　fed　and　fattened　and　pampered　until　her　head　was　quite　turned。　　And　the　general　began　to　buy　jewels　for　her。　　Such　jewels　ropes　of　diamonds　and　pearls　and　emeralds；　rings　such　as　she　had　never　dreamed　existed！　　Those　shopping　excursions　of　theirs　in　the　Rue　de　la　Paix　would　make　such　a　tale　as　your　ordinary　simple　citizen；　ignorant　of　the　world's　resources　in　luxury　and　therefore　incredulous　about　them；　would　read　with　a　laugh　at　the　extravagance　of　the　teller。
  Before　the　intoxication　of　the　wedding　had　worn　away　it　was　re…enforced　by　the　intoxication　of　the　honey…　moonnot　an　intoxication　of　love's　providing；　but　one　exceeding　potent　in　its　influence　upon　our　weak　human　brains　and　hearts；　one　from　which　the　strongest　of　us；　instead　of　sneering　at　poor　Mildred；　would　better　be　praying　to　be　delivered。
  At　her　marriage　she　had　a　few　hundred　dollars　left　of　her　patrimonythree　hundred　and　fifty　and　odd；　to　be　more　exact。　　She　spent　a　little　money　of　her　own　here　and　therein　tips；　in　buying　presents　for　her　mother；　in　picking　up　trifles　for　her　own　toilet。　　The　day　came　when　she　looked　in　her　purse　and　found　two　one…franc　pieces；　a　fifty…franc　note；　and　a　few　coppers。　And　suddenly　she　sat　back　and　stared；　her　mouth　open　like　her　almost　empty　gold　bag；　which　the　general　had　bought　her　on　their　first　day　in　the　Rue　de　la　Paix。　About　ten　dollars　in　all　the　world；　and　the　general　had　forgotten　to　speakor　to　make　any　arrangement；　at　least　any　arrangement　of　which　she　was　awareabout　a　further　supply　of　money。
  They　had　been　married　nearly　a　month。　　He　knew　that　she　was　poor。　　Why　hadn't　he　said　something　or；　better　still；　DONE　something？　　Doubtless　he　had　simply　forgotten。　　But　since　he　had　forgotten　for　a　month；　might　he　not　continue　to　forget？　　True；　he　had　himself　been　poor　at　one　time　in　his　life；　very　poor；　and　that　for　a　long　time。　　But　it　had　been　so　many　years　ago　that　he　had　probably　lost　all　sense　of　the　meaning　of　poverty。　　She　frowned　at　this　evidence　of　his　lack　of　the　finer　sensibilitiesby　no　means　the　first　time　that　lack　had　been　disagreeably　thrust　upon　her。　　Soon　she　would　be　without　moneyand　she　must　have　money　not　much；　as　all　the　serious　expenses　were　looked　after　by　the　general；　but　still　a　little　money。　　How　could　she　get　it？　　How　could　she　remind　him　of　his　neglect　without　seeming　to　be　indelicate？　　It　was　a　difficult　problem。　　She　worked　at　it　more　and　more　continuously；　and　irritably；　and　nervously；　as　the　days　went　by　and　her　fifty…two　francs　dwindled　to　five。
  She　lay　awake；　planning　long　and　elaborate　conversations　that　would　imperceptibly　lead　him　up　to　where　he　must　see　what　she　needed　without　seeing　that　he　had　been　led。　　She　carried　out　these　ingenious　conversations。　She　led　him　along；　he　docilely　and　unsuspectingly　following。　　She　brought　him　up　to　where　it　seemed　to　her　impossible　for　any　human　being　endowed　with　the　ordinary　faculties　to　fail　to　see　what　was　so　plainly　in　view。　　All　in　vain。　　General　William　Siddall　gazed　placidlyand　saw　nothing。
  Several　days　of　these　failures；　and　with　her　funds　reduced　to　a　fifty…centime　piece　and　a　two…sous　copper　she　made　a　frontal　attack。　　When　they　went　forth　for　the　day's　shopping　she　left　her　gold　bag　behind。　　After　an　hour　or　so　she　said：
  ‘‘I've　got　to　go　to　the　Galleries　Lafayette　for　some　little　things。　　I　shan't　ask　you　to　sacrifice　yourself。　　I　know　you　hate　those　stuffy；　smelly　big　shops。''
  ‘‘Very　well；''　said　he。　　‘‘I'll　use　the　time　in　a　call　on　my　bankers。''
  As　they　were　about　to　separate；　she　taking　the　motor　and　he　walking；　she　made　a　face　of　charming　dismay　and　said：　　‘‘How　provoking！　　I've　left　my　bag　at　the　hotel。''
  Instead　of　the　expected　prompt　offer　of　money　he　said；　‘‘It'll　only　take　you　a　minute　or　so　to　drive　there。''
  ‘‘But　it's　out　of　the　way；''　she　replied。　　‘‘I'll　need　only　a　hundred　francs　or　so。''
  Said　he：　　‘‘I've　an　account　at　the　Bon　Marche。　　Go　there　and　have　the　things　charged。　　It's　much　the　best　big　shop　in　Paris。''
  ‘‘Very　well；''　was　all　she　could　trust　herself　to　say。　She　concealed　her　anger　beneath　a　careless　smile　and　drove　away。　　How　dense　he　was！　　Could　anything　be　more　exasperatingor　more　disagreeable？　　What　SHOULD　she　do？　　The　situation　was　intolerable；　yet　how　could　it　be　ended；　except　by　a　humiliating　direct　request　for　money？　　She　wondered　how　young　wives　habitually　dealt　with　this　problem；　when　they　happened　to　marry　husbands　so　negligent；　not　to　say　underbred；　as　to　cause　them　the　awkwardness　and　the　shame。　　There　followed　several　days　during　which　the　money　idea　was　an　obsession；　nagging　and　grinning　at　her　every　in…　stant。　　The　sight　of　money　gave　her　a　peculiar　itching　sensation。　　When　the　little　general　paid　for　anything　always　drawing　out　a　great　sheaf　of　bank　notes　in　doing　itshe　flushed　hot　and　cold；　her　glance　fell　guiltily　and　sought　the　money　furtively。　　At　last　her　desperation　gave　birth　to　an　inspiration。
  About　her　and　the　general；　or；　rather；　about　the　general；　revolved　the　usual　rich　man's　small　army　of　satellites　of　various　degreessecretaries；　butlers