Of course, Ruth was not at all surprised at the news Ethel brought her, for though the lovers had been individually sure they had betrayed their secret to no one, it had really been an open one to Ruth since the hour of their meeting.

She was sincerely ardent in her praises of Tyrrel Rawdon, but--and there is always a but--she wondered if Ethel had "noticed what a quick temper he had." "Oh, yes," answered Ethel, "I should not like him not to have a quick temper.

I expect my husband to stand up at a moment's notice for either mine or his own rights or opinions." And in the afternoon when all preliminaries had been settled and approved, Judge Rawdon expressed himself in the same manner to Ruth.
"Yes," he said, in reply to her timid suggestion of temper, "you can strike fire anywhere with him if you try it, but he has it under control.

Besides, Ethel is just as quick to flame up.

It will be Rawdon against Rawdon, and Ethel's weapons are of finer, keener steel than Tyrrel's.