mere sound of his voice, assured him that his hold over her was
secure. He must be a fool indeed if he could not keep it, in spite of
revelations. To offer himself to her threatened vengeance of his own
accord, and to see her turned away disarmed, because she loved him; that
would be the climax of his victory!

There was something of their old antagonism, in the attitude in which
they stood facing one another by the side of the grave, looking straight
into one another's eyes. The sound of the child's happy laughter floated
back to them across the spot where its mother lay at rest. Whether
Theobald's intense consciousness of the situation had, in some way,
affected Hadria, or whether his expression had given a clue, it would be
difficult to say, but suddenly, as a whiff of scent invades the senses,
she became aware of a new and horrible fact which had wandered into her
mind, she knew not how; and she took a step backwards, as if stunned,
breathing shortly and quickly. Again he interpreted this as a sign of
intense feeling.

"Hadria," he said bending towards her, "you do love me?" He did not wait
for her answer, so confident did he feel. "You love me for myself, not
for my virtues or qualities, for I have but few of those, alas!" She
tried to speak, but he interrupted her. "I want to make a confession to
you. I can never forget what you said that day of Marion Fenwick's
wedding, at the side of this very grave; you said that you wanted to
take vengeance on the man who had brought such misery to this poor
woman. You threatened--at least, it amounted to a threat--to make him
fall in love with you, if ever you should meet him, and to render him
miserable through his passion. I loved you and I trembled, but I thought
to myself, 'What if I could make her return my love? Where would the
vengeance be _then_?'"

Hadria had remained, for a second, perfectly still, and then turned
abruptly away.

"I knew it would be a shock to you. I did not dare to tell you before.
Think what depended on it for me. Had I told you at that moment, I knew
all hope for me would be at an end. But now, it seems to me my duty to
tell you. If you wish for vengeance still, here I am at your mercy--take
it." He stretched out his arms and stood waiting before her. But she was
silent. He was not surprised. Such a revelation, at such a moment, must,
of necessity, stun her.

"Hadria, pronounce my fate. Do you wish for vengeance still? You have
only to take