Sidwell smiled.  “Ah, I thought so.  But why, pray?  Aren’t you a married man with an ark of refuge always waiting?”

Hough made a grimace.  “Yes, that’s just the trouble.  I’m too much married, too thoroughly domesticated.”

The other looked blank.  “I fail to understand.  Certainly you and Elise haven’t at last—­”

“No, no; not that.”  Hough repelled the suggestion with a gesture as though it were a tangible object.  “Elise left to-day to spend a month with her uncle up in northern Wisconsin, and I can’t get out of town for a week.  I feel as I fancy a small bird feels when it has fallen out of the nest while its mother is away.  The bottom seems to have dropped out of town and left me stranded.”

The host observed his guest humorously—­a bit maliciously.  “It is good for you, you complacent benedict,” he remarked unsympathetically.  “You can understand now the normal state of mind of bachelors.  Perhaps after a few more days you’ll have been tortured enough to retract the argument you made to me about matrimony.  I repeat, it’s poetic justice, and good for a man now and then to have a dose of his own medicine.”

Hough smiled as at an oft-heard joke.  “All right, old man, have it as you please; only let’s steer clear of a useless discussion of the subject to-night.”

“With all my heart,” said Sidwell.  The decanter was once more in his hand.  “Let’s drink to the very good health of Elise on her journey.”

Hough hesitated.  He had a feeling that there was an obscure desecration in the toast, but it was not tangible enough to resent.  “To her very good health,” he repeated in turn.

For a moment he looked steadily into the face of his companion, now a trifle flushed.  Again an inward monitor warned him it were better to go; but the first flood of the liquor had reached his brain, and the temptation to remain was strong.

“By the way, how are you coming on with your own affair of the heart?  Have you propounded the momentous question to the lady?”

Sidwell pulled forward the box of cigars and helped himself to one.  “No,” he returned with deliberation.  “I haven’t had a good opportunity.  A gentleman from the West, where they wear their hair long and their coat-tails short, has suddenly appeared like an obscuring cloud on the Baker sky.  I have a suspicion that he has aspirations for the hand of the lady in question.  Anyhow, he’s haunted the house like a ghost to-day.  Mother Baker has for some reason taken a fancy to your humble servant, and over the ’phone she has kept me informed of the stranger’s tribulations.  He seems to be meeting with sufficient difficulties without my interposition, so out of the goodness of my heart I’ve given him an open field.  I hope you appreciate my consideration.  I fear he’s not of a stripe to do so himself.”

Hough lit his cigar.  “Yes, it certainly was kind of you,” he said.  “Very kind.”