nes of her figure, down past the lace of her
petticoat to her feet, still encased in her evening slippers with
diamond buckles, and she laughed softly to herself. What was she yet but
a girl? Fate had cheated her of some of the years, but she was barely
twenty-five. How wonderful to be young still and feel one's blood flow
to music like this! Her thoughts ran riot. Her mouth trembled and a
deeper colour stained her cheeks. Then she heard a voice behind her, a
living voice in her room. And as swiftly as those other mysterious
thoughts had stolen into her heart, came the chill of a deadly,
indescribable fear.

"Charming! Ravishing! It is almost worth the six years of waiting, dear
wife!"

She began to tremble. She could not have called out or framed any
intelligible sentence to save her life. It was like a nightmare. The
horror was there, without the power of movement or speech.

He moved his position and came within the range of her terrified
vision. Hurd's twenty pounds and a little more added to it had done
wonders. He wore correct evening clothes, correctly worn. Except for his
good looks--the good looks of a devil--he would have attracted notice
nowhere. He leaned against the couch, and though his lips curled into a
sneer, there was a flame in his eyes, a horrible admiration.

She tried to pray.

"You are overcome," he murmured softly. "Ah! Why not? Six years since
our happiness was snatched from us, cherie! Ah! but it was cruel! You
have thought of me, I trust! You have pitied me! Ah! how often I have
lain awake at night in my cell, fondly imagining some such reunion--as
this."

She forced herself to speak through lips suddenly pale. What strange
words they sounded, frozen things, scarcely audible! Yet the effort hurt
her.

"I will give you--the money," she said. "More, if you will!"

"Ah!" he said reflectively, "the money! I had forgotten that. It was not
kind of you to run away and hide, little woman! It was not kind of you
to send me nothing when I was in prison! Oh! I suffered, I can tell you!
There is a good deal to be made up for! Pet, if you had not reminded me,
just now these things seem so little. Dear little wife, you are
enchanting. Almost you turn my head."

He came slowly towards her. She threw up her hands.

"Wait!" she begged, "oh, wait! Listen! I am in your power. I admit it. I
will make terms. I will sign anything. What is it that you want? You
shall be rich, but you must go away. You m