The Bigamist

In the handsome room, softly lighted with shaded electric lamps, a man sat in a low chair, his legs stretched out compass-wise, his brow resting on his hand. He had the appearance of being asleep, save that every now and again the fingers pressing his brow pressed harder or were momentarily relaxed; he made no other movement: for fully half an hour he had not altered his pose. The only other occupant of the room, a woman, tall and slender, with a wealth of golden hair crowning her small head, stood at the long open window with her back to the room, her pose as still as the man’s, but considerably less absorbed.
The girl, she was little more than a girl, despite the five years of happy married life, and the tiny mite of four asleep in the nursery overhead, turned from the open window and the soft darkness of the summer night and faced the lighted room. So long the man had sat there silent, motionless, plunged in thought, that she had almost forgotten his presence in a pleasant reverie of her own till roused by the extraordinary quiet, as effectually as though recalled by some unexpected sound. She turned her head and regarded him with surprised, inquiring eyes.
“Worried, Herbert?” she asked.
He started at the sound of her voice, and roused himself with an effort.
“What makes you ask that?” he said, without looking at her.
“I don’t know... You are so quiet,” she answered. “And at dinner I fancied you seemed a little put out.”
She crossed to his chair and knelt beside him, resting her clasped hands on his shoulders, her face lifted to his. He put out a hand and touched her hair.—“Pamela,” he said abruptly, “you’ve been happy with me? You’ve—I’ve made you happy?” he insisted.
She looked surprised: a faint questioning showed in the blue eyes and the slight puckering of the finely pencilled brows.
“My dear!” she said. “You know that.” She pulled his face down to hers and kissed him. “You never doubted me?” she asked.
“No,” he answered,—“no.”