o with great knowledge of human nature, to accomplish what he
meant to attempt. First he would throw everything into the desperate
endeavour to make her give up the will simply and entirely from the
highest motives. But what possibility was there of success? Why should
he hope that, just because he called and asked her for it, she would
give up all that for which she had sold her soul? He could not feel that
he was a prophet sent by God from whose lips would fall such inspired
words that the iron frost would thaw and the great depths of her nature
be broken up. In fact, he felt singularly uninspired, and very much
embarrassed. And when he had tried the impossible (he said to himself),
and had given her the last chance of going back on this ugly fraud from
nobler motives than that of fear, and had failed--he must then enter on
the next stage and must merge the priest's office in that of the
ambassador. He must bring home to her that what she clung to was already
lost, and that nothing but shame and disgrace lay before her. He had the
case, as presented by Sir Edmund's letter in all its convicting
simplicity, clearly in his mind--quite as clearly as the facts of
Molly's own confession to himself. It would not be difficult to crush
the criminal, to make her see the hopeless horror of the trial that must
follow unless she consented to a compromise. But it was the completeness
of her defeat that he dreaded the most; it was for that last stage of
his plan that he was gathering unconsciously all his nerve-power
together. He seemed to hear with ominous distinctness her words at their
last meeting: "If I can't go through with it (which is quite possible)
I shall throw up the sponge and get out of this world as soon as I can."
That had been spoken without any sort of fear of detection, without the
least suspicion that she would have no choice in the matter of giving up
her ill-gotten wealth. What he dreaded unutterably was the despair that
must overpower her as he developed the long chain of evidence against
her. As he came into her presence, overwhelmed with these thoughts, he
was also anxiously recalling two mental notes. He must make her clearly
understand that he had not betrayed her by one word or hint to Sir
Edmund Grosse or any living human being; and secondly, he thought it
very important to impress upon her that Sir Edmund and Lady Rose were of
opinion that Larrone had suppressed the will or that Molly had never
opened the