“That the money gained by such means——”
“You don’t mean to say that speculating is dishonest, do you?” he asked, with a harsh laugh.
“If the money that you speculated with had been honestly earned it would be bad enough, but money—Oh, why do you force me to say these things? You know perfectly well what I think.”
He turned away, with disappointment and resentment in his face. “I see that it’s useless to try to please you. Perhaps it’s just as well that you’re not going to Washington with me.”
She rose from her seat and started to leave the room; but, on an impulse, she stopped. “I suppose a woman’s way of looking at these things is different from a man’s, Douglas. A woman can’t understand how hard it is for a man—how many temptations he has. Oh, I don’t blame you, Douglas; your doing all that for me—taking all those risks, and losing everything—I do appreciate it. But if I could only make you see that it is all wrong, that I’d love you poor and disappointed, a thousand times more than successful and——”
“And dishonest!” he interrupted. “That’s what you were going to say, isn’t it? Well, I guess it’s impossible for us to agree about these matters. Anyway, I’ve got the nomination, and that means my re-election. We’ve got to take things as they come in this world.”
Helen walked slowly toward the door.
“Then you’ve made up your mind?” he said, thinking she might weaken.
“I have made up my mind not to return to Washington,” she replied, without meeting his look.
Briggs turned away impatiently. “Very well, then. I’ll take rooms again at the club.”