ew poor Fred Prendergast over.'

'I am not prepared to discuss that,' Madeline said, at no pains to
smooth the curve out of her lip.

'Then I thought, "Perhaps--you never can tell with people--she will
think it her DUTY to make a fuss."'

'That is a possible point of view.'

'I know. You think I'm an imposter on society and I ought to be exposed,
and I suppose you could shut every door in Simla against me if you
liked. But you are a friend of my husband's, Miss Anderson. You would
not turn his whole married life into a scandal and ruin his career?'

'Ruin his career?'

'Of course. Government is awfully particular. It mayn't be his fault
in the least, but no man is likely to get any big position with a cloud
over his domestic affairs. Horace would resign, naturally.'

'Or take long leave,' Mrs. Innes added to herself, but she did not give
Madeline this alternative. A line or two of nervous irritation marked
themselves about her eyes, and her colour had faded. Her hat was less
becoming than it had been, and she had pulled a button off her glove.

'Besides,' she went on quickly, 'it isn't as if you could do any good,
you know. The harm was done once for all when I let him think he'd
married me. I thought then--well, I had to take it or leave it--and
every week I expected to hear of Frederick's death. Then I meant to tell
Horace myself, and have the ceremony over again. He couldn't refuse.
And all these years it's been like living on a volcano, in the fear of
meeting New York people. Out here there never are any, but in England I
dye my hair, and alter my complexion.'

'Why did you change your mind,' Madeline asked, 'about telling Colonel
Innes?'

'I haven't! Why should I change my mind? For my own protection, I mean
to get things put straight instantly--when the time comes.'

'When the time comes,' Madeline repeated; and her eyes, as she fixed
them on Mrs. Innes, were suddenly so lightened with a new idea that she
dropped the lids over them as she waited for the answer.

'When poor Frederick does pass away,' Mrs. Innes said, with an air of
observing the proprieties. 'When they put him in prison it was a matter
of months, the doctors said. That was one reason why I went abroad. I
couldn't bear to stay there and see him dying by inches, poor fellow.'

'Couldn't you?'

'Oh, I couldn't. And the idea of the hard labour made me SICK. But
it seems to have improved his health, and now--there is no telling! I
somet