"Oh, there's no danger from her," said Forbes. "She's married now."
Tait shrugged his shoulders: "That's when a woman is most dangerous. Young girls tied to their mother's apron-strings are risky enough, the Lord knows, but when a woman unhappily married meets an old lover who is still unmarried—humph, the weather doesn't last long as a topic of conversation. You come along with me."
Forbes felt doubly humiliated by his position. "I don't like the idea of running away from a woman."
"You're good enough soldier to know that there are times when it is cowardly not to run away. Do we go to Evian-les-Bains?"
"Yes. To-morrow, if you wish."
"Good! And I want you to promise not to see that woman at all to-night. There are a lot of sharp eyes about, and the gossips can work up a big trade on a very small capital. Will you promise?"
"You are needlessly worried."
"Harvey, I never believed in playing with fire. I haven't asked you many favors. Will you grant me this one?"
Forbes was almost filial in his obedience: "Why, of course I promise not to meet her if I can avoid it."
"Good!" Tait rose to his feet with some difficulty. He was weak and shaken with premonitions. When a man's heart races and misses fire he is filled with dismay. He paused to lay his hands on Forbes' shoulders and plead as if for forgiveness for his solicitude. "Harvey, you may think I'm an old fool, but if you didn't run away from this danger, in after years you might have been sorry that you didn't."