"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.
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