y good chance of bitching up our show altogether," he answered
calmly. "This thing has got to be carried out by me, not you; and if you
are not going to let me do it my own way, then so much the worse for
both of us. I won't be dictated to by you, or anybody, and if you're not
contented to believe in me, then I can only say you're making a big
mistake and you'll very soon find it out."

"What are you going to do, then?" she asked, "and when are you going to
do it? I've a right to know that, I suppose?"

"To think you can talk in that tone of voice to me--to me of all
people!"

"To think you can force me to! And now you'll say you've seen things in
me you never thought were there, and turn it over in your mind--and--and
oh, it's cowardly--it's cruel. And you call yourself an honourable man
and could tell me and swear to me only yesterday that I was more to you
than anything else in the world!"

"D'you know what you're doing?" he asked. "D'you want to make
me--there--I won't speak it--I won't come down to your level and forget
myself and say things that I'd break my heart to think of afterwards. I
must go now, or that girl will be wondering what the deuce has happened.
She's told her father already that you weren't happy or something; so I
suppose you must have been talking. I'll come in this evening. You'd
better go home now as quick as you can."

He left her abruptly and she sat down shaking on a stone seat, to
prevent herself from falling. Grief and terror shared her spirit. She
watched him hurry away and, after he was gone, arose to find her legs
trembling under her. She went home slowly; then thoughts came to her
which restored her physical strength. Her anger gave place to fear and
her fear beckoned her to confide in somebody with greater power over
Raymond than her own.

She returned to her mother, described her repulse and then declared her
intention of going immediately to see Miss Ironsyde. She concentrated
her thoughts on the lady, of whom Raymond had often spoken with
admiration and respect. She argued with herself that his aunt would only
have to hear her story to take her side; she told herself and her mother
that since Raymond had feared to approach his aunt, Sabina might most
reasonably do so. She grew calm and convinced herself that not only
might she do this, but that when Raymond heard of it, he would very
possibly be glad that the necessity of confession was escaped. His Aunt
Jenny was very fond