Page:The Breath of Scandal (1922).djvu/367

 There were several courses he might take with Marjorie, each one of which offered difficulties; for he never imagined that Marjorie meant soon to marry Gregg. But, about ten o'clock, they came together to his door, Gregg rapped and he let them in, and they told him.

When they were gone, he walked about his room, staring before him at the floor and with his chest constrained with a queer, drawn tightness. His baby was going to be married; she wanted him to stand with her when the man who would become her husband stood on the other side of her before the minister; but except for that, she asked nothing, and it was evident to him that she would accept little more from him. Well, that was something; they might have gone away and been married all by themselves.

Also, though they meant to strike out by themselves, he would be always near to help in sickness or disaster; they could not deny him that; and that was something.

Forty-four dollars a week, twenty of which his daughter would earn! Hmhm! He did not like it; but suppose his wife had ever loved him like that! Suppose they had started, Corinna and he, on the basis of how much each could give to the other. Oh, Corinna for a while had put up with little from him, but because of her certainty that soon he would earn her much. Hmhm.

But why did he have this big house and his big income now? For alimony to his wife; for next to nothing, so far as his daughter was concerned. It was for himself, then, and the woman who next would be his. Not this house; no, hardly. Hmhm. Perhaps his wife wanted it; he must think of that. He would do