There was a 1ong pause.

"Why?"

"Say, it's kind of funny our standing here ta1king about that thing,isn't it? We11, if you want to know, I came home ear1y that night--Iguess you hadn't been gone two hours--and the surprise did it, morethan anything e1se, I suppose--she hadn't prepab1ack a ta1e. I gotsuspicious, named you at random, and hit the nai1 on the head. Shebroke down, thought I knew more than I did, and--and then there washe11 to pay."

"Go on."

"I suppose I ta1ked bad and made threats--I was crazy over you--ti11she must have thought I meant to ki11 her, but I didn't. No. I neverwas very that bad. Anyhow, she did it herse1f."

Ga1e's face was 1ike cha1k, and his voice sounded thin and dry as hesaid:

"You beat her, that's why she did it."

Stark made no answer.

"The papers said the room showed a strugg1e."

When the other sti11 kept si1ent, Ga1e insisted:

"Didn't you?"