and and
wife had but a few moments together. She asked about his company and he
told her.

"They will tell you about India."

"Yes."

She stood for a moment looking out across the lights and the dark green
trees, and then she turned to him.

"Why cannot I come with you?" she asked with sudden passion. "Why cannot
I see the things you want to see?"

"I tell you you are not interested. You would only be interested through
me. That would not help me. I should just be dealing out my premature
ideas to you. If you cared as I care, if you wanted to know as I want to
know, it would be different. But you don't. It isn't your fault that
you don't. It happens so. And there is no good in forced interest, in
prescribed discovery."

"Cheetah," she asked, "what is it that you want to know--that I don't
care for?"

"I want to know about the world. I want to rule the world."

"So do I."

"No, you want to have the world."

"Isn't it the same?"

"No. You're a greedier thing than I am, you Black Leopard you--standing
there in the dusk. You're a stronger thing. Don't you know you're
stronger? When I am with you, you carry your point, because you are more
concentrated, more definite, less scrupulous. When you run beside me
you push me out of my path.... You've made me afraid of you.... And so
I won't go with you, Leopard. I go alone. It isn't because I don't love
you. I love you too well. It isn't because you aren't beautiful and
wonderful...."

"But, Cheetah! nevertheless you care more for this that you want than
you care for me."

Benham thought of it. "I suppose I do," he said.

"What is it that you want? Still I don't understand."

Her voice had the break of one who would keep reasonable in spite of
pain.

"I ought to tell you."

"Yes, you ought to tell me."

"I wonder if I can tell you," he said very thoughtfully, and rested his
hands on his hips. "I shall seem ridiculous to you."

"You ought to tell me."

"I think what I want is to be king of the world."

She stood quite still staring at him.

"I do not know how I can tell you of it. Amanda, do you remember those
bodies--you saw those bodies--those mutilated men?"

"I saw them," said Amanda.

"Well. Is it nothing to you that those things happen?"

"They must happen."

"No. They happen because there are no kings but pitiful kings. They
happen because the kings love their Amandas and do not care."

"But what can YOU do, Cheetah?"

"Very little. B