in her girlish and
romantic dreams.

The sordidness of it all had ruthlessly struck her; for the first time
in her intercourse with this man, she doubted the genuineness of his
motives. With the passing of her fortune from her hands to his, the last
vestige of belief in him died down with appalling suddenness.

It could not have been because of the expression in his eyes, as he
fingered the wallet, for this she could not see, since his face was
still in shadow. It must have been just instinct--that, and the mockery
of his attempt to make love to her. Had he ever loved her, he could not
have mocked ... not now, that she was helpless and entirely at his
mercy.

Love once felt, is sacred to him who feels: mockery even of the ashes of
love is an impossible desecration, one beyond the power of any man.
Then, if he had never loved her, why had he pretended? Why have deceived
her with a semblance of passion?

And the icy whisper of reason blew into her mental ear, the ugly word:
"Money."

He opened the door for her, and without another word, she passed out
into the dark night. Only when she reached the tiny gate at the end of
the flagged path, did she realize that he was walking with her.

"I can find my way alone through the woods," she said coldly. "I came
alone."

"It was earlier then," he rejoined blandly, "and I prefer to see you
safely as far as the park."

And they walked on side by side in silence. Overhead the melancholy drip
of moisture falling from leaf to leaf, and from leaf to the ground, was
the only sound that accompanied their footsteps. Sue shivered beneath
her damp cloak; but she walked as far away from him as the width of the
woodland path allowed. He seemed absorbed in his own thoughts and not to
notice how she shrank from the slightest contact with him.

At the park gate he paused, having opened it for her to pass through.

"I must bid you good-night here, Suzanne," he said lightly, "there may
be footpads about and I must place your securities away under lock and
key. I may be absent a few days for that purpose.... London, you know,"
he added vaguely.

Then as she made no comment:

"I will arrange for our next meeting," he said, "anon, there will be no
necessity to keep our marriage a secret, but until I give you permission
to speak of it, 'twere better that you remained silent on that score."

She contrived to murmur:

"As you will."

And presently, as he made no movement towards her,