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172
THE BOND

a liberal education in feminism. I'm at least forty in experience."

"Oh, nonsense. You adore Basil."

"Of course I adore him. His altars smoke with sacrifice. But all the same I think I shall raise one to the Unknown God."

"On which no one will be allowed to sacrifice but yourself, eh?" said Erhart. "You want a monopoly."

"Oh, there's no god sufficiently unknown for that!" Teresa laughed. "There's such a superfluity of adoration in this world. No wonder our deities are overfed. I think I shall put Basil on a meagre diet."

"Don't do anything to Basil, he's good enough. He's the most married man I know."

"He? He's the aboriginal wild man, roaming the happy hunting-grounds—in Mrs. Perry's automobile. And I keep the wigwam neat and clean, and look after the papoose."

"You couldn't do a better job," said Erhart aggressively.

Erhart came up to stay a week, but he stayed a month, in fact till the Ransomes returned to town, and occupied himself in making a bas- relief of Teresa's head. At first his attitude toward them both was what it had always been—friendly and frank. But soon he began to show some irritation against Basil. He devoted himself obviously to Teresa, tried to get her off