any use or comfort to her or anybody. I was just a — a — vegetable. And I got tired of it. That’s why I came to keep house for Mr. Gay and look after Cissy.”

“And I suppose your people thought you’d gone mad.”

“They did — and do — literally,” said Valancy. “But it’s a comfort to them. They’d rather believe me mad than bad. There’s no other alternative. But I’ve been living since I came to Mr. Gay’s. It’s been a delightful experience. I suppose I’ll pay for it when I have to go back — but I’ll have had it.”

“That’s true,” said Barney. “If you buy your experience it’s your own. So it’s no matter how much you pay for it. Somebody else’s