ft
effort to wrench herself from him, then, feeling his arm tighten to
frustrate her, she struck him across the face in frantic indignation.

Again a roar of laughter arose behind them, and then very suddenly she
forgot everyone in the world but Jeff, for it was as if at that blow of
hers an evil spirit had taken swift possession of him. He gripped her
hands with savage strength, forcing them behind her, and so holding her,
with eyes that seared her soul, he kissed her passionately, violently,
devouringly, on face and neck and throat, sparing her not a whit, till
in an agony of helpless shame she sank powerless in his arms.

She heard again the jeering laughter in the room behind her, but between
herself and Jeff there was a terrible silence, till abruptly he set her
free, saying curtly, "You brought it on yourself. Now go!"

Her knees were shaking under her. She was burning from head to foot, as
though she had been wrapped in flame. But with an effort she controlled
herself.

She went in utter silence, feeling as if her heart were dead within her,
mounted the stairs with growing weakness, found and fumbled at her own
door, entered at last, and sank inert upon the floor.

CHAPTER XI

CHRISTMAS MORNING

Christmas morning broke with a sprinkle of snow, and an icy wind that
blew from the north, promising a heavier fall ere the day was over.

Jeff was late in descending, and he saw that the door of Doris's room
was open as he passed. He glanced in, saw that the room was empty, and
entered to lay a packet that he carried on her dressing-table. As he did
so, his eyes fell upon an envelope lying there, and that single glance
revealed the fact that it was addressed to him.

He picked it up, and, turning, cast a searching look around the room.
Across the end of the great four-poster bed hung the black lace gown she
had worn the previous evening, but the bed itself was undisturbed. He
saw in a moment that it had not been slept in. Sharply he turned to the
envelope in his hand, and ripped it open. Something bright rolled out
upon the floor. He stopped it with his foot. It was her wedding-ring.

An awful look showed for a moment in Jeff's eyes and passed. He stooped
and picked up the ring; then, with a species of deadly composure more
terrible than any agitation, he took out the letter that the envelope
contained.

It was very short--the first letter that she had ever written to him.

"Dear Jeff," it ran