"That's splendid, go ahead," I encouraged, trying to fathom the nature of Byng's disaster.
"And—I have not lost faith in human kind, and still believe the world mostly good."
"That's still greater; you will make yourself happy yet. Nothing beats invoicing our blessings occasionally."
"Then you know, a short time after your visit there came a little girl and the year that followed I could not have been happier, but——" and her lips began to quiver and she looked at me imploringly.
"There you go: remember only pleasant things yet," I cautioned.
"That's so—that's so—well, she was christened Norma, but Howard always called her 'Little Jim'; said that was the kind of a name you would like. At the christening you were named her godfather."
"He honored me——" And recovering from the surprise I continued, "Reproducing our kind is of the greatest use, and naturally yields the greatest pleasure. Of course, you were happy? Does that end your list of benefactions?"
She struggled hard for composure. She was still delightfully unconscious of her physical charms.
"That's all I can think of now, unless, perhaps, that I still love my husband so much that the lure of men, to a lone, and, in a sense, deposed woman, is transparent and childishly laughable. This has enabled me to keep my womanhood as it should be," she added quietly, a soft glow spreading over her face. I was mystified.