But the truth, fortunately, is not always known, and Blanche Farrow doubted if any other member of the circle of friends and acquaintances he had picked up in his adventurous, curious life knew of that first--now evidently by him almost forgotten--marriage.

It had taken place years ago, when Varick was still a very young man, and to a woman not of his own class.

They had separated, and then, rather oddly, come together again.

Even so, her premature death had been for him a fortunate circumstance.
It was not Varick who had told Blanche Farrow of that painful episode of his past life.

The story had come to her knowledge in a curious, accidental fashion, and she had thought it only fair to tell him what she had learned--and then, half reluctantly, he had revealed something of what he had suffered through that early act of folly.