If it's properly managed—and I'm taking every precaution that it shall be—we'll succeed in overawing the riotously disposed."
He told her the details of his plan; she listened with an absorbed interest. He had never felt it necessary to caution her against repeating information which he gave her about his affairs, and he did not caution her now. Indeed she would have felt hurt by the lack of confidence that such a warning might have seemed to imply.
Two days later she went to see Lydia, for whom she had a compassionate sympathy on account of Stewart's rattle-pated course. In the frequent visits which Lydia and she had exchanged since her return to Avalon there had been no reference to the hostile relations existing between Floyd and Stewart. Marion had guessed the proud loyalty to Stewart which was keeping Lydia silent—a sad, proud loyalty which could only shun a discussion, not attempt a vindication. It had been in Marion's mind, from the time when she had learned of the estrangement, to act as peacemaker, but it was a mission on which she did not embark with any of the confidence which Floyd ascribed to her. Indeed she had delayed and delayed, waiting for the favorable moment; and if Floyd had given her a more complete account of the trouble with Stewart, she would probably have continued to hesitate; at least she might have approached the matter differently. But Floyd had glossed over much of the disagreeable history, wishing to spare himself a recital of Stewart's humiliation, wishing, too, not to lower Stewart in the opinion of another. He had given Marion the idea that the whole trouble was due to Stewart's crazy, radical enthusiasm for labor unions and hatred for capitalists; he had left her in ignorance of the successive grievances which Stewart had been accumulating in the practice of his profession.
And now, Marion thought, the time had come for the two to be reconciled. It was a matter for the women to arrange; she went forth hoping that in the course of the
