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the　case。　　He　passed　it　over；　and　when　she　had　chosen　one　of　the

little　rolls　and　lighted　it　she　said：



〃Mr。　Cleggett；　have　you　ever　lived　in　England？〃



〃I　have　never　even　visited　England。〃



〃I　wish　you　knew　England。〃　　She　watched　the　curling　smoke　from

her　tobacco　as　it　drifted　across　the　table。　　〃If　you　knew　England

you　would　comprehend　so　much　more　readily　some　parts　of　my　story。



〃But；　being　an　American；　you　can　have　no　adequate　conception　of

the　conservatism　that　still　prevails　in　certain　quarters。　　I

refer　to　the　really　old　families　among　the　landed　aristocracy。　

Some　of　them　have　not　changed　essentially；　in　their　attitude

towards　the　world　in　general；　since　the　reign　of　Queen　Elizabeth。



They　make　of　family　a　fetish。　They　are　ready　to　sacrifice

everything　upon　the　altar　of　family。　　They　may　exhibit　this　pride

of　race　less　obviously　than　some　of　the　French　or　Germans　or

Italians；　but　they　have　a　deeper　sense　of　their　own　dignity；　and

of　what　is　due　to　it；　than　any　of　your　more　flighty　and

picturesque　continentals。　　There　are　certain　things　that　are

done。　Certain　things　are　not　done。　　One　must　conform　or〃



She　interrupted　herself　and　delicately　flicked　the　ash　from　her

cigarette。



〃Conform；　or　be　jolly　well　damned；〃　she　finished；　crossing　one

leg　over　the　other　and　leaning　back　in　her　chair。　　〃This；　by　the

way；　is　the　only　decent　cigarette　I　have　found　in　America。　　I

hate　to　smoke　perfumeI　like　tobaccoand　most　of　your　shops

seem　to　keep　nothing　but　the　highly　scented　Turkish　and　Egyptian

varieties。〃



〃They　were　made　in　London；〃　said　Cleggett；　bowing。



〃Ah！　　But　where　was　I？　　Oh；　yesone　must　conform。　　Especially　if

one　belongs　to；　or　has　married　into；　the　Claiborne　family。　　Of

all　the　men　in　England　the　Earl　of　Claiborne　is　the　most

conservative；　the　most　reactionary；　the　most　deeply　encrusted

with　prejudice。　　He　would　stop　at　little　where　the　question

concerned　the　prestige　of　the　aristocracy　in　general；　he　would

stop　at　nothing　where　the　Claiborne　family　is　concerned。



〃I　am　telling　you　all　this　so　that　you　may　get　an　inkling　of　the

blow　it　was　to　him　when　I　became　a　militant　suffragist。　　It　was

blow　enough　to　his　nephew；　Sir　Archibald；　my　late　husband。　　The

Earl　maintains　that　it　hastened　poor　Archibald's　death。　　But　that

is　ridiculous。　　Archibald　had　undermined　his　constitution　with

dissipation；　and　died　following　an　operation　for　gravel。　　He　was

to　have　succeeded　to　the　title；　as　both　of　the　Earl's　legitimate

sons　were　dead　without　issueone　of　them　perished　in　the　Boer

War；　and　the　other　was　killed　in　the　hunting　field。



〃Upon　Archibald's　death　the　old　Earl　publicly　acknowledged

Reginald　Maltravers；　his　natural　son；　and　took　steps　to　have　him

legitimatized。　　For　all　of　the　bend　sinister　upon　his　escutcheon；

Reginald　Maltravers　was　as　fanatical　concerning　the　family　as　his

father。　　Perhaps　more　fanatical；　because　he　secretly　suffered　for

the　irregularity　of　his　own　position　in　the　world。



〃At　any　rate；　supported　at　first　by　the　old　Earl；　he　began　a

series　of　persecutions　designed　to　make　me　renounce　my　suffragist

principles；　or　at　least　to　make　me　cease　playing　a　conspicuous

public　part　in　the　militant　propaganda。　　As　my　husband　was　dead

and　there　were　no　children；　I　could　not　see　that　I　was

accountable　to　the　Claiborne　family　for　my　actions。　　But　the

Claibornes　took　a　different　view　of　it。　　In　their　philosophy；

once　a　Claiborne；　always　a　Claiborne。　　I　was　bringing　disgrace

and　humiliation　upon　the　family；　in　their　opinion。　Knowing　the

old　Earl　as　I　do；　I　am　aware　that　his　suffering　was　genuine　and

intense。　But　what　was　I　to　do？　　One　cannot　desert　one's

principles　merely　because　they　cause　suffering；　otherwise　there

could　be　no　such　thing　as　revolution。



〃Reginald　Maltravers　had　another　reason　for　his　persecution。　

After　the　death　of　Sir　Archibald　he　himself　sought　my　hand　in

marriage。　　I　shall　always　remember　the　form　of　his　proposal；　it

concluded　with　these　words：　'Had　Archibald　lived　you　would　have

been　a　countess。　　You　may　still　be　a　countessbut　you　must　drop

this　suffragist　show；　you　know。　　It　is　all　bally　rot；　Agatha；　all

bally　rot。'　I　would　not　have　married　him　without　the　condition；

for　I　despised　the　man　himself；　but　the　condition　made　me　furious

and　I　drove　him　from　my　sight　with　words　that　turned　him　white

and　made　him　my　enemy　forever。　　'You　will　not　be　my　countess；

then；'　he　said。　　'Very　wellbut　I　can　promise　you　that　you　will

cease　to　be　a　suffragist。'　I　can　still　see　the　evil　flash　of　his

eye　behind　his　monocle　as　he　uttered　these　words　and　turned

away。〃



Lady　Agatha　shuddered　at　the　recollection；　and　took　a　cup　of　tea。



〃It　was　then；〃　she　resumed；　〃that　the　real　persecution　began。　　I

was　peculiarly　helpless；　as　I　have　no　near　relations　who　might

have　come　to　my　defense。　　Representing　himself　always　as　the

agent　of　his　father；　but　far　exceeding　the　Earl　in　the

malevolence　of　his　inventions；　Reginald　Maltravers　sought　by

every　means　he　could　command　to　drive　me　from　public　life　in

England。



〃Three　times　he　succeeded　in　having　me　flung　into　Holloway　Jail。　

I　need　not　tell　you　of　the　terrors　of　that　institution；　nor　of

the　degrading　horrors　of　forcible　feeding。　　They　are　known　to　a

shocked　and　sympathetic　world。　　But　Reginald　Maltravers

contrived；　in　my　case；　to　add　to　the　usual　brutalities　a　peculiar

and　personal　touch。　　By　bribery；　as　I　believe；　he　succeeded　in

getting　himself　into　the　prison　as　a　turnkey。　　It　was　his　custom；

when　I　lay　weak　and　helpless　in　the　semistupor　of　starvation；　to

glide　into　my　cell　and；　standing　by　my　couch；　to　recite　to　me　the

list　of　tempting　viands　that　might　appear　daily　upon　the　board　of

a　Countess　of　Claiborne。



〃He　soon　learned　that　his　very　presence　itself　was　a　persecution。



After　my　release　from　jail　the　last　time；　he　began　to　follow　me

everywhere。　　Turn　where　I　would；　there　was　Reginald　Maltravers。　

At　suffrage　meetings　he　took　his　station　directly　before　the

speaker's　stand；　stroked　his　long　blond　mustache　with　his　long

white　fingers；　and　stared　at　me　steadfastly　through　his　monocle；

with　an　evil　smile　upon　his　face。　　Formerly　he　had；　in　several

instances；　prevented　me　from　attending　suffrage　meetings；　once　he

had　me　spirited　away　and　imprisoned　for　a　week　when　it　fell　to　my

lot　to　burn　a　railroad　station　for　the　good　of　the　cause。　　He

strove　to　ruin　me　with　my　leaders　in　this　despicable　manner。



〃But　in　the　end　he　took　to　showing　himself；　he　stood　and　stared。　

Merely　that。　　He　was　subtle　enough　to　shift　the　persecution　from

the　province　of　the　physical　to　the　realm　of　the　psychological。

It　was　like　being　haunted。　　Even　when　I　did　not　see　him；　I　began

to　THINK　that　I　saw　him。　　He　deliberately　planted　that

hallucination　in　my　mind。　It　is　a　wonder　that　I　did　not　go　mad。



〃I　finally　determined　to　flee　to　America。　　I　made　all　my

arrangements　with　care　andas　I　thoughtwith　secrecy。　　I

imagined　that　I　had　given　him　the　slip。　　But　he　was　too　clever

for　me。　　The　third　day　out；　as　one　of　the　ship's　officers　was

showing　me　about　the　vessel；　I　detected　Reginald　Maltravers　in

the　hold。　　It　is　not　usual　to　allow　women　so　far　below　decks；　but

I　had　insisted　on　seeing　everything。　　Perspiring；　begrimed；　and

mopping　the　moisture　from　his　brow　with　a　piece　of　cotton　waste；

there　he　stood　in　the　guise　of　aofa　croaker；　is　it；　Mr。

Cleggett？〃



〃Stoker；　I　believe；〃　said　Cleggett。



〃Stoker。　　Thank　you。　　He　turned　away　in　confusion　when　he　saw

that　he　was　discovered。　　I　perceived　that；　designing　to　cross　on

the　same　ship　with　me；　he　had　thought　himself　hidden　there。　He

was　not　wearing　his　monocle；　but　I　would　know　that　sloping

forehead；　that　blond　mustache；　and　that　long；　high；　bony　nose

anywhere。〃



Lady　Agatha　broke　off　for　a　moment。　　She　was　extremely　agitated。　

But　presently　she　continued：　〃I　endeavored　to　evade　him。　　The

attempt　was　useless。　　He　found　me　out　at　once。　　The　persecution

went　on。　　It　was　more　terrible　here　than　it　had　been　in　England。　

There　I　had　friends。　　I　had　hours；　sometimes　even　whole　days；　to

myself。



〃But　this　was　not　the　worst。　　A　new　phase　developed。　　From　his

appearance　it　suddenly　became　apparent　to　me　that　Reginald

Maltravers　could　not　stop　haunting　me　if　he　wished！〃



〃COULD　not　stop？〃　cried　Cleggett。



〃COULD　not；〃　said　Lady　Agatha。　　〃The　hunt　had　become　a　monomania

with　him。　　It　had　become　an　obsession。　　He　had　given　his　whole

mentality　to　it　and　it　had　absorbed　all　his　faculties。　　He　was

now　the　victim　of　it。　　He　had　grown　powerless　in　the　grip　of　the

idea；　he　had　lost　volition　in　the　matter。



〃You　can　imagine　my　consternation　when　I　realized　this。　　I　began

to　fear　the　day　when　his　insanity　would　take　some　violent　form

and　he　would　endeavor　to　do　me　a　personal　injury。　　I　determined

to　have　a　bodyguard。　　I　wanted　a　man　inured　to　danger；　one

capable　of　meeting　violence　with　violence；　if　the　need　arose。　　It

struck　me　that　if　I　could　get　into　touch　with　one　of　those

chivalrous　Western　outlaws；　of　whom　we　read　in　American　works　of

fiction；　he　would　be　just　the　sort　of　man　I　needed　to　protect　me

from　Reginald　Maltravers。



〃I　did　not　consider　appealing　to　the　authorities；　for　I　have　no

confidence　in　your　American　laws；　Mr。　Cleggett。　　But　I　did　not

know　how　to　go　about　finding　a　chivalrous　Western　outlaw。　　So

finally　I　put　an　advertisement　in　the　personal　column　of　one　of

your　morning　papers　for　a　reformed　convict。〃



〃A　reformed　convict！〃　exclaimed　Cleggett。　〃May　I　ask　how　you

worded　the　ad。？〃



〃Ad。？　　Oh；　advertisement？　　I　will　get　it　for　you。〃



She　went　into　the　stateroom　and　was　back　in　a　moment　with　a

newspaper　cutting　which　she　handed　to　Cleggett。　　It　read：



Convict　recently　released　from　Sing　Sing；　if　　　　　　

his　reform　is　really　genuine；　may　secure　honest　　　　　　

employment　by　writing　to　A。　F。；　care　Morning　Dispatch。



〃Out　of　the　answers；〃　she　resumed；　〃I　selected　four　and　had　their

writers　call　for　a　personal　interview。　　But　only　two　of　them

seemed　to　me　to　be　really　reformed；　and　of　these　two　Elmer's

reform　struck　me　as　being　the　more　genuine。　　You　may　have　noticed

that　Elmer　gives　the　appearance　of　being　done　with　worldly

vanities。〃



〃He　does　seem　depressed；〃　said　Cleggett；　〃but　I　had　imputed　it

largely　to　the　nature　of　his　present　occupation。〃



〃It　is　due　to　his　attempt　to　lead　a　better　lifeor　at　least　so

he　tells　me；〃　said　Lady　Agatha。　〃Morality　does　not　come　easy　to

Elmer；　he　says；　and　I　believe　him。　　Elmer's　time　is　largely　taken

up　by　inward　moral　debate　as　to　the　right　or　wrong　of　particular

hypothetical　cases　which　his　imagination　insists　on　presenting　to

his　conscience。〃



〃I　can　certainly　imagine　no　state　of　mind　less　enjoyable；〃　said

Cleggett。



〃Nor　I；〃　replied　Lady　Agatha。　　〃But　to　resume：　　The　very　fact

that　I　had　employ