or my aunt's lawyer and
took him into my confidence. He let me know when my husband returned to
America, and as soon as possible after that I came to England myself,
under another name. I was no longer his wife in heart. Why should I
keep a name which was given to me under false pretences? Five years
have passed since then. It seems like a century, and--here I am!"

"And all this time you have heard nothing? Nothing has happened?"

"Yes. I have heard. He seems to have--felt it a good deal! It is
always painful to be discovered, and for a man's wife to leave him
before the honeymoon is over is hurtful to his pride. He makes periodic
efforts to find me, but my lawyers are loyal, and will give no clue."

"And the settlement? The money you made over to him? Does he draw that
still?"

She flushed and frowned.

"No. It appears not. He tells the lawyers that he will never touch it.
I suppose if he changed his manner of living it would be remarked, and
people might guess something of the truth. His object is, of course, to
throw all the blame on me."

The bitterness of her voice hurt me so that I ventured a timid protest.

"Charmion, I am not taking his part. I think he was contemptible beyond
words; but--_isn't_ it possible that he has regretted, that he has not
taken the money because he was _ashamed_?"

"Possible, of course; but I should say extremely improbable. However, I
am no longer concerned in his motives. He gave up his liberty for a
certain price, and the price is his. The money accumulates at the bank.
Some day, no doubt, he will find it convenient to draw it."

I felt a movement of revolt, and cried quickly:--

"There is one person I despise even more than the man himself, and that
is the creature who kept that letter, and sent it to you too late to
prevent the marriage! If it were to be done at all, why could it not
have been done before?"

Her lips curved.

"Yes. It was very cruel. That was another disillusion, Evelyn. I have
always been convinced that Marjorie was the sender. Probably the letter
had been written to her brother, or to some near relation, and in some
way had come into her possession. She behaved very strangely about our
engagement. But I had been her friend--how she could find it in her
heart! If there had been any possibility of doubt I would have gone
straight to her, and demanded the truth, but--what was the use? The
letter was _there_. I should only h