und that might have been a laugh
strangled at birth. Burleigh Wentworth gathered her to his heart and held
her there.

"No!" he said. "No! I want to make you--the happiest woman in the world!"

"Too late! Too late!" she whispered.

But he stopped the words upon her lips, passionately, irresistibly, with
his own.

"You are mine!" he swore, with his eyes on hers. "You are mine! No man on
earth shall ever take you from me again!"

CHAPTER V

Violet was in her room ready dressed for dinner that evening, when there
came a knock upon her door. She was seated at a writing-table in a corner
scribbling a note, but she covered it up quickly at the sound.

"Come in!" she said.

She rose as her husband entered. He also was ready dressed. He came up to
her in his quiet, direct fashion, looking at her with those steady eyes
that saw so much and revealed so little.

"I just came in to say," he said, "that I am sorry to cut your pleasure
short, but I find we must return to town to-morrow."

She started at the information. "To-morrow!" she echoed. "Why?"

"I find it necessary," he said.

She looked at him. Her heart was beating very fast. "Percival, why?" she
said again.

He raised his eyebrows slightly. "It would be rather difficult for me to
explain."

"Do you mean you have to go on business?" she said.

He smiled a little. "Yes, on business."

She turned to the fire with a shiver. There was something in the
atmosphere, although the room was warm, that made her cold from head
to foot. With her back to him she spoke again:

"Is there any reason why I should go too?"

He came and joined her before the fire. "Yes; one," he said.

She threw him a nervous glance. "And that?"

"You are my wife," said Field quietly.

Again that shiver caught her. She put out a hand to steady herself
against the mantelpiece. When she spoke again, it was with a great
effort.

"Wives are sometimes allowed a holiday away from their husbands."

Field said nothing whatever. He only looked at her with unvarying
attention.

She turned at last in desperation and faced him. "Percival! Why do you
look at me like that?"

He turned from her instantly, without replying. "May I write a note
here?" he said, and went towards the writing-table. "My pen has run dry."

She made a movement that almost expressed panic. She was at the table
before he reached it. "Ah, wait a minute! Let me clear my things out
of your way first!"

She beg