was afraid that we had misunderstood each
other--because we belonged to different countries, and had been brought
up in different ways----" she paused.

"And that if you understood his position and considered it, you might
both be quite happy," Betty gave in quiet termination.

Lady Anstruthers started.

"Oh, you know it all!" she exclaimed

"Only because I have heard it before. It is an old trick. And because
he seemed kind and relenting, you tried to understand--and signed
something."

"I WANTED to understand. I WANTED to believe. What did it matter which
of us had the money, if we liked each other and were happy? He told me
things about the estate, and about the enormous cost of it, and his bad
luck, and debts he could not help. And I said that I would do anything
if--if we could only be like mother and father. And he kissed me and I
signed the paper."

"And then?"

"He went to London the next day, and then to Paris. He said he was
obliged to go on business. He was away a month. And after a week had
passed, Lady Anstruthers began to be restless and angry, and once she
flew into a rage, and told me I was a fool, and that if I had been an
Englishwoman, I should have had some decent control over my husband,
because he would have respected me. In time I found out what I had done.
It did not take long."

"The paper you signed," said Betty, "gave him control over your money?"

A forlorn nod was the answer.

"And since then he has done as he chose, and he has not chosen to care
for Stornham. And once he made you write to father, to ask for more
money?"

"I did it once. I never would do it again. He has tried to make me. He
always says it is to save Stornham for Ughtred."

"Nothing can take Stornham from Ughtred. It may come to him a ruin, but
it will come to him."

"He says there are legal points I cannot understand. And he says he is
spending money on it."

"Where?"

"He--doesn't go into that. If I were to ask questions, he would make me
know that I had better stop. He says I know nothing about things. And
he is right. He has never allowed me to know and--and I am not like you,
Betty."

"When you signed the paper, you did not realise that you were doing
something you could never undo and that you would be forced to submit to
the consequences?"

"I--I didn't realise anything but that it would kill me to live as I had
been living--feeling as if they hated me. And I was so glad and thankful
that he s