lanced down to the front of her
dress.

Benyon listened, but he went on as if he had not heard her. "What I came
to say to you is this: that I should like your consent to my bringing a
suit for divorce against you."

"A suit for divorce? I never thought of that."

"So that I may marry another woman. I can easily obtain a divorce on the
ground of your desertion."

She stared a moment, then her smile solidified, as it were, and she
looked grave; but he could see that her gravity, with her lifted
eyebrows, was partly assumed. "Ah, you want to marry another woman!" she
exclaimed, slowly, thoughtfully. He said nothing, and she went on: "Why
don't you do as I have done?"

"Because I don't want my children to be--"

Before he could say the words she sprang up, checking him with a cry.
"Don't say it; it is n't necessary! Of course I know what you mean; but
they won't be if no one knows it."

"I should object to knowing it myself; it's enough for me to know it of
yours."

"Of course I have been prepared for your saying that"

"I should hope so!" Benyon exclaimed. "You may be a bigamist if it
suits you, but to me the idea is not attractive. I wish to marry--" and,
hesitating a moment, with his slight stammer, he repeated, "I wish to
marry--"

"Marry, then, and have done with it!" cried Mrs. Roy.

He could already see that he should be able to extract no consent from
her; he felt rather sick. "It's extraordinary to me that you should n't
be more afraid of being found out," he said after a moment's reflection.
"There are two or three possible accidents."

"How do you know how much afraid I am? I have thought of every accident,
in dreadful nights. How do you know what my life is, or what it has been
all these miserable years?"

"You look wasted and worn, certainly."

"Ah, don't compliment me!" Georgina exclaimed. "If I had never known
you--if I had not been through all this--I believe I should have been
handsome. When did you hear of my marriage? Where were you at the time?"

"At Naples, more than six months ago, by a mere chance."

"How strange that it should have taken you so long! Is the lady a
Neapolitan? They don't mind what they do over there."

"I have no information to give you beyond what I just said," Benyon
rejoined. "My life does n't in the least regard you."

"Ah, but it does from the moment I refuse to let you divorce me."

"You refuse?" Benyon said softly.

"Don't look at me that way! You hav