"Let me tell you something, judge. His father was right when he said I took advantage of him. I did. I saw that he was sentimental and self-willed, and all that. I started out to attract him. I was tired of the life I was living, the hard work, the loneliness, and all the rest of it, and I made up my mind to catch him if I could. I didn't think it was wrong then, but I do now. Besides," she went on, "I'm older than he is—five years older. He thinks I'm three years younger, and that he's protecting me from the world. I took advantage of his ignorance of life."
Judge Brewster shrugged his shoulders impatiently.
"If boys of twenty-five are not men they never will be." Looking down at her kindly, he went on: "'Pon my word! if I was twenty-five, I'd let this divorce go through and marry you myself."
"Oh, judge!"
That's all she could say, but there was gratitude in the girl's eyes. These were the first kind words any one had yet spoken to her. It was nice to know that some one saw some good in her. She was trying to think of something to say, when suddenly there was the click of a key being inserted in a Yale lock. The front door opened, and Howard appeared.
"Well, judge!" he exclaimed, "this is a surprise!"
The lawyer looked at him gravely.
"How do you do, young man?" he said. Quizzingly he added: "You look very pleased with yourself!"
"This is the first opportunity I've had to thank you for your kindness," said Howard cordially.
"You can thank your wife, my boy, not me!" Changing the topic, he said: "So you're going abroad, eh?"