Page:A strange, sad comedy (IA strangesadcomedy00seawiala).pdf/183

Rh mation; "who ever heard of justice between a man and a woman?"

"I have," answered Sir Archy, sententiously.

"And next, you will be saying that women are bound by the same rules of behavior as men," continued Letty, with pretty but vicious emphasis.

Farebrother looked on without taking any part in the scrimmage, and was infinitely diverted.

"I hardly think I understand you," said Sir Archy, much puzzled.

"I 'll explain then," replied Letty. "I mean this; that a man should be the soul of honor toward a woman—honorable to the point of telling the most awful stories for her—and always taking the blame, and never accusing her even if he catches her at the crookedest sort of things—and giving her all the chicken livers, and the breast of duck, and always pretending to believe her whether he does or not."

"And may I ask," inquired Sir Archy, who took all this for chaff, without crediting in the least the amount of sincerity Letty felt in her code, "may I ask what is exacted of a