when　he　did　so　paid　no　attention　to　what　he　said。　　She
  sank　back　into　the　hansom　and　held　her　muff　before　her
  face；　lowering　it　occasionally　to　utter　laconic　remarks
  about　the　people　in　the　carriages　they　passed；　interrupt…
  ing　Fred's　narrative　in　a　disconcerting　manner。　　As　they
  entered　the　Park　he　happened　to　glance　under　her　wide
  black　hat　at　her　black　eyes　and　hairthe　muff　hid　every…
  thing　elseand　discovered　that　she　was　crying。　　To　his
  solicitous　inquiry　she　replied　that　it　〃was　enough　to　make
  you　damp；　to　go　and　try　on　dresses　to　marry　a　man　you
  weren't　keen　about。〃
  Further　explanations　followed。　　She　had　thought　she
  was　〃perfectly　cracked〃　about　Brisbane；　until　she　met
  Fred　at　the　Holland　House　three　days　ago。　　Then　she
  knew　she　would　scratch　Brisbane's　eyes　out　if　she　married
  him。　　What　was　she　going　to　do？
  Fred　told　the　driver　to　keep　going。　　What　did　she　want
  to　do？　　Well；　she　didn't　know。　　One　had　to　marry　some…
  body；　after　all　the　machinery　had　been　put　in　motion。
  Perhaps　she　might　as　well　scratch　Brisbane　as　anybody
  else；　for　scratch　she　would；　if　she　didn't　get　what　she
  wanted。
  Of　course；　Fred　agreed；　one　had　to　marry　somebody。
  And　certainly　this　girl　beat　anything　he　had　ever　been　up
  against　before。　　Again　he　told　the　driver　to　go　ahead。　　Did
  she　mean　that　she　would　think　of　marrying　him；　by　any
  chance？　　Of　course　she　did；　Alphonse。　　Hadn't　he　seen　that
  all　over　her　face　three　days　ago？　　If　he　hadn't；　he　was　a
  snowball。
  By　this　time　Fred　was　beginning　to　feel　sorry　for　the
  driver。　　Miss　Beers；　however；　was　compassionless。　　After
  a　few　more　turns；　Fred　suggested　tea　at　the　Casino。　　He
  was　very　cold　himself；　and　remembering　the　shining　silk
  hose　and　pumps；　he　wondered　that　the　girl　was　not　frozen。
  As　they　got　out　of　the　hansom；　he　slipped　the　driver　a　bill
  and　told　him　to　have　something　hot　while　he　waited。
  At　the　tea…table；　in　a　snug　glass　enclosure；　with　the　steam
  sputtering　in　the　pipes　beside　them　and　a　brilliant　winter
  sunset　without；　they　developed　their　plan。　　Miss　Beers　had
  with　her　plenty　of　money；　destined　for　tradesmen；　which
  she　was　quite　willing　to　divert　into　other　channelsthe
  first　excitement　of　buying　a　trousseau　had　worn　off；　any…
  way。　　It　was　very　much　like　any　other　shopping。　　Fred
  had　his　allowance　and　a　few　hundred　he　had　won　on　the
  game。　　She　would　meet　him　to…morrow　morning　at　the
  Jersey　ferry。　　They　could　take　one　of　the　west…bound
  Pennsylvania　trains　and　goanywhere；　some　place
  where　the　laws　weren't　too　fussy。　　Fred　had　not　even
  thought　about　the　laws！　　It　would　be　all　right　with
  her　father；　he　knew　Fred's　family。
  Now　that　they　were　engaged；　she　thought　she　would
  like　to　drive　a　little　more。　　They　were　jerked　about　in　the
  cab　for　another　hour　through　the　deserted　Park。　　Miss
  Beers；　having　removed　her　hat；　reclined　upon　Fred's
  shoulder。
  The　next　morning　they　left　Jersey　City　by　the　latest　fast
  train　out。　　They　had　some　misadventures；　crossed　several
  States　before　they　found　a　justice　obliging　enough　to　marry
  two　persons　whose　names　automatically　instigated　inquiry。
  The　bride's　family　were　rather　pleased　with　her　originality；
  besides；　any　one　of　the　Ottenburg　boys　was　clearly　a　better
  match　than　young　Brisbane。　　With　Otto　Ottenburg；　how…
  ever；　the　affair　went　down　hard；　and　to　his　wife；　the　once
  proud　Katarina　Furst；　such　a　disappointment　was　almost
  unbearable。　　Her　sons　had　always　been　clay　in　her　hands；
  and　now　the　GELIEBTER　SOHN　had　escaped　her。
  Beers；　the　packer；　gave　his　daughter　a　house　in　St。　Louis；
  and　Fred　went　into　his　father's　business。　　At　the　end　of　a
  year；　he　was　mutely　appealing　to　his　mother　for　sympathy。
  At　the　end　of　two；　he　was　drinking　and　in　open　rebellion。
  He　had　learned　to　detest　his　wife。　　Her　wastefulness　and
  cruelty　revolted　him。　　The　ignorance　and　the　fatuous　con…
  ceit　which　lay　behind　her　grimacing　mask　of　slang　and
  ridicule　humiliated　him　so　deeply　that　he　became　absolutely
  reckless。　　Her　grace　was　only　an　uneasy　wriggle；　her　auda…
  city　was　the　result　of　insolence　and　envy；　and　her　wit　was
  restless　spite。　　As　her　personal　mannerisms　grew　more　and
  more　odious　to　him；　he　began　to　dull　his　perceptions　with
  champagne。　　He　had　it　for　tea；　he　drank　it　with　dinner；　and
  during　the　evening　he　took　enough　to　insure　that　he　would
  be　well　insulated　when　he　got　home。　　This　behavior　spread
  alarm　among　his　friends。　　It　was　scandalous；　and　it　did　not
  occur　among　brewers。　　He　was　violating　the　NOBLESSE　OBLIGE
  of　his　guild。　　His　father　and　his　father's　partners　looked
  alarmed。
  When　Fred's　mother　went　to　him　and　with　clasped　hands
  entreated　an　explanation；　he　told　her　that　the　only　trouble
  was　that　he　couldn't　hold　enough　wine　to　make　life　endur…
  able；　so　he　was　going　to　get　out　from　under　and　enlist　in
  the　navy。　　He　didn't　want　anything　but　the　shirt　on　his
  back　and　clean　salt　air。　　His　mother　could　look　out；　he　was
  going　to　make　a　scandal。
  Mrs。　Otto　Ottenburg　went　to　Kansas　City　to　see　Mr。
  Beers；　and　had　the　satisfaction　of　telling　him　that　he　had
  brought　up　his　daughter　like　a　savage；　EINE　UNGEBILDETE。　　All
  the　Ottenburgs　and　all　the　Beers；　and　many　of　their　friends；
  were　drawn　into　the　quarrel。　　It　was　to　public　opinion；　how…
  ever　and　not　to　his　mother's　activities；　that　Fred　owed　his
  partial　escape　from　bondage。　　The　cosmopolitan　brewing
  world　of　St。　Louis　had　conservative　standards。　　The　Otten…
  burgs'　friends　were　not　predisposed　in　favor　of　the　plunging
  Kansas　City　set；　and　they　disliked　young　Fred's　wife　from
  the　day　that　she　was　brought　among　them。　　They　found　her
  ignorant　and　ill…bred　and　insufferably　impertinent。　　When
  they　became　aware　of　how　matters　were　going　between　her
  and　Fred；　they　omitted　no　opportunity　to　snub　her。　　Young
  Fred　had　always　been　popular；　and　St。　Louis　people　took
  up　his　cause　with　warmth。　　Even　the　younger　men；　among
  whom　Mrs。　Fred　tried　to　draft　a　following；　at　first　avoided
  and　then　ignored　her。　　Her　defeat　was　so　conspicuous；　her
  life　became　such　a　desert；　that　she　at　last　consented　to
  accept　the　house　in　Santa　Barbara　which　Mrs。　Otto　Otten…
  burg　had　long　owned　and　cherished。　　This　villa；　with　its
  luxuriant　gardens；　was　the　price　of　Fred's　furlough。　　His
  mother　was　only　too　glad　to　offer　it　in　his　behalf。　　As　soon
  as　his　wife　was　established　in　California；　Fred　was　trans…
  ferred　from　St。　Louis　to　Chicago。
  A　divorce　was　the　one　thing　Edith　would　never；　never；
  give　him。　　She　told　him　so；　and　she　told　his　family　so；　and
  her　father　stood　behind　her。　　She　would　enter　into　no
  arrangement　that　might　eventually　lead　to　divorce。　　She
  had　insulted　her　husband　before　guests　and　servants；　had
  scratched　his　face；　thrown　hand…mirrors　and　hairbrushes
  and　nail…scissors　at　him　often　enough；　but　she　knew　that
  Fred　was　hardly　the　fellow　who　would　go　into　court　and
  offer　that　sort　of　evidence。　　In　her　behavior　with　other　men
  she　was　discreet。
  After　Fred　went　to　Chicago；　his　mother　visited　him　often；
  and　dropped　a　word　to　her　old　friends　there；　who　were
  already　kindly　disposed　toward　the　young　man。　　They
  gossiped　as　little　as　was　compatible　with　the　interest　they
  felt；　undertook　to　make　life　agreeable　for　Fred；　and　told　his
  story　only　where　they　felt　it　would　do　good：　to　girls　who
  seemed　to　find　the　young　brewer　attractive。　　So　far；　he　had
  behaved　well；　and　had　kept　out　of　entanglements。
  Since　he　was　transferred　to　Chicago；　Fred　had　been
  abroad　several　times；　and　had　fallen　more　and　more　into
  the　way　of　going　about　among　young　artists；people　with
  whom　personal　relations　were　incidental。　　With　women；　and
  even　girls；　who　had　careers　to　follow；　a　young　man　might
  have　pleasant　friendships　without　being　regarded　as　a　pro…
  spective　suitor　or　lover。　　Among　artists　his　position　was　not
  irregular；　because　with　them　his　marriageableness　was　not
  an　issue。　　His　tastes；　his　enthusiasm；　and　his　agreeable
  personality　made　him　welcome。
  With　Thea　Kronborg　he　had　allowed　himself　more　lib…
  erty　than　he　usually　did　in　his　friendships　or　gallantries
  with　young　artists；　because　she　se