"Where have I seen him before?" thought Cornelia. And, "What is the matter with him?" she seemed to ask of Abbie.
"I couldn't come," he repeated. "I'm sorry," he added humbly. "I was—somewhere else."
"Have you been away all these three months? I haven't seen you since almost New Year's. Have you been away from the city all this time?"
"I have been somewhere—somewhere else," he repeated thickly. 'He rose tremblingly. "I suppose they'll have me there again, some time. Well, all right," he said, with resignation.
"What does he mean?" asked Abbie, turning appealingly to Cornelia.
Marcus followed his sister's eyes. He looked at Cornelia narrowly, his own eyes half closed. "Who is this?" he asked.
"It's Cornelia—Burt's wife."
"Burt's wife?" He held her with an enigmatical stare. "I have seen her," he said; "before."
"Where?" thought Cornelia. "Not possibly at—the theatre?"
"In church," he explained, with a slow gravity. "He isn't dead—Burt?"