he buckle on her shoe. He knew the
whole feel of the room--the buzz of the gas, the peculiarities of the
wall-paper, the thick curtain over the door to his right, the folds of
the table-cloth. And in his infelicity and in his resentment against
Rachel he savoured it all not without pleasure. The mere inviolable
solitude with this young, strange, provocative woman in the night
beyond the town stimulated him into a sort of zest of living.

There was a small sound from the young woman; her breathing was
checked; she had choked down a dry sob. This signal, so faint and
so dramatic in the stillness of the parlour, at once intimidated and
encouraged him.

"What have you done with that money?" he asked, in a cold voice.

"What money?" Rachel replied, low, without raising her head. Her hand
had ceased to move the needle.

"You know what money."

"I took it to Julian, of course."

"Why did you take it to Julian?"

"We agreed I should, last week--you yourself said so--don't you
remember?" Her tones acquired some confidence.

"No, I don't remember. I remember something was said about letting him
have half of it. Did you give him half or all of it?"

"I gave him all of it."

"I like that! I like that!" Louis remarked sarcastically. "I like
your nerve. You do it on the sly. You don't say a word to me; and not
content with that, you give him all of it. Why didn't you tell me? Why
didn't you ask me for the money?"

Rachel offered no answer.

Louis proceeded with more vivacity. "And did he take it?"

"I made him."

"What? All of it? What reason did you give? How did you explain
things?"

"I told him you'd had the rest of the money, of course, so it was all
right. It wouldn't have been fair to him if some one hadn't told him."

Louis now seriously convinced himself that his grievance was
tremendous, absolutely unexampled in the whole history of marriage.

"Well," said he, with high, gloomy dignity, "it may interest you to
know that I didn't have the rest of the money.... If I'd had it,
what do you suppose I've done with it?... Over five hundred pounds,
indeed!"

"Then what--?"

"I don't think I want any of your 'Then what's.' You wouldn't listen
before, so why should you be told now? However, I expect I must teach
you a lesson--though it's too late."

Rachel did not move. She heard him say that he had discovered the
bank-notes at night, under the chair on the landing. "I took charge of
them. I collared them,