"
"You were very fortunate," said Littleton, who wished to seem
sympathetic.
Meanwhile the two wives had returned to the drawing-room arm in arm, and
established themselves on one of those small sofas for two, constructed
so that the sitters are face to face. They had taken a strong fancy to
each other, especially Flossy to Selma, and in the half hour which
followed they made rapid progress toward intimacy. Before they parted
each had agreed to call the other by her Christian name, and Selma had
confided the story of her divorce. Flossy listened with absorbed
interest and murmured at the close:
"Who would have thought it? You look so pure and gentle and refined that
a man must have been a brute to treat you like that. But you are happy
now, thank goodness. You have a husband worthy of you."
Each had a host of things still unsaid when Littleton and Williams
joined them.
"Well, my dear," said Wilbur as they left the house, "that was a sort of
Arabian Nights entertainment for us, wasn't it? A little barbaric, but
handsome and well intentioned. I hope it didn't shock you too much."
"It struck me as very pleasant, Wilbur. I think I am beginning to
understand New York a little better. Every thing costs so much here that
it seems necessary to make money, doesn't it? I don't see exactly how
poor people get along.
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