iterated his
question, putting it in a new form.

"'You have cast your Englishman at me,' he said, 'like the sop to
Cerberus. Would you have been quite so ready to do that if you had not
had a motive of your own? I repeat my question. You have an interest in
this--what is it?'

"'I have two interests,' I answered. 'The interest of forcing you to
respect my position here, and the interest of ridding myself of the
sight of you at once and forever!' I spoke with a boldness he had not
yet heard from me. The sense that I was making the villain an instrument
in my hands, and forcing him to help my purpose blindly, while he was
helping his own, roused my spirits, and made me feel like myself again.

"He laughed. 'Strong language, on certain occasions, is a lady's
privilege,' he said. 'You may, or may not, rid yourself of the sight of
me, at once and forever. We will leave that question to be settled in
the future. But your other interest in this matter puzzles me. You have
told me all I need know about the Englishman and his yacht, and you have
made no conditions before you opened your lips. Pray, how are you to
force me, as you say, to respect your position here?'

"'I will tell you how,' I rejoined. 'You shall hear my conditions first.
I insist on your leaving me in five minutes more. I insist on your never
again coming near the house where I live; and I forbid your attempting
to communicate in any way either with me or with that other gentleman
whom you saw with me at the theater--'

"'And suppose I say no?' he interposed. 'In that case, what will you
do?'

"'In that case,' I answered, 'I shall say two words in private to the
rich young Englishman, and you will find yourself back again among the
chorus at the opera.'

"'You are a bold woman to take it for granted that I have my designs on
the Englishman already, and that I am certain to succeed in them. How do
you know--?'

"'I know _you_,' I said. 'And that is enough.'

"There was a moment's silence between us. He looked at me, and I looked
at him. We understood each other.

"He was the first to speak. The villainous smile died out of his face,
and his voice dropped again distrustfully to its lowest tones.

"'I accept your terms,' he said. 'As long as your lips are closed, my
lips shall be closed too--except in the event of my finding that you
have deceived me; in which case the bargain is at an end, and you will
see me again. I shall present myself to the En