"Sometimes we can even
help to hold other people's--if they are long."
"Oh, what a rude speech to a lady!" she exclaimed gallantly. "Did
you see the Osborns at church? And did you notice him? What an
unhappy marriage! He is breaking Kate's heart. And to think that
his character--or the lack of it--should have been discovered only
when it was too late! How can you men so cloak yourselves before
marriage? Why not tell women the truth then instead of leaving
them to find it out afterward? Are he and Rowan as good friends as
ever?" The question was asked with the air of guilelessness.
"I know nothing about that," he replied dryly. "I never knew Rowan
to drop his friends because they had failings: it would break up
all friendships, I imagine."
"Well, I cannot help _my_ thoughts, and I think George Osborn was
the prodigal aimed at in the sermon. Everybody thought so."
"How does she know what everybody thought?" commented the Judge to
himself. He tapped the porch nervously with his cane, sniffed his
heliotrope and said irrelevantly:
"Ah me, what a beautiful night! What a beautiful night!"
The implied rebuff provoked her. Irritation winged a venomous
little shaft:
"At least no woman has ever held _you_ responsible for her
unhappiness."
"You are quite right, madam," he replied, "the only irreproachable
husband in this world is the man who has no wife."
"By the way," she continued, "in all these years you have not told
me why you never married.
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