hen is your husband coming back?" he enquired once, when they were
riding through Central Park.

"I don't know. In a week or two. Why?"

"Because we must decide pretty soon what we're going to do."

"Do? What can we do?"

"We must decide where we're going. You must go with me somewhere. I'm not
going to let you get away from me again {~HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS~} not even for a little while."

"But Ramon, how can we? I'm married. I can't go anywhere with you.{~HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS~}"

He seized her fiercely by the shoulders and held her away from him,
looking into her eyes.

"Don't you love me, then?" he demanded.

"Ramon! You know I do!"

"Then you'll go. We can go to Mexico City, or South America {~HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS~} I'll sell
out at home.{~HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS~}"

"O, Ramon {~HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS~} I can't. I haven't got the courage. Think of the fuss it would
raise. And it would kill Gordon, I know it would.{~HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS~}"

"Damn Gordon!" he exclaimed, "he's not going to get in the way again!
You're mine and I'm going to keep you. You will go. I'll take you!"

He had seized her in his arms, was holding her furiously tight. She put
her arms around him, caressed his face with soft fluttering hands.

"Please, Ramon! Please don't make me miserable. Don't spoil the only
happiness I ever had! I will go with you if ever I can, if I can get a
divorce or something. But I can't run off like that. I haven't got it in
me {~HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS~} please let me be happy!"

Her touch and her voice seemed to overcome his determination, seemed to
sheer him of his strength. Weaker she was than he, but her charm was her
power. It dragged him away from his thoughts and purposes, binding him to
her and to the moment.{~HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS~} She drew his head down to her breast, found his
lips with hers and so effectively cut his protests short.

The cream of his happiness was gone. Always when he was alone, he was
thinking and planning how he could keep her. All of his possessiveness was
aroused. He wanted her to have a baby. Somehow he felt that then his
conquest would be complete, that then he would be at peace.{~HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS~}

He said nothing more to Julia because he saw that it was useless. He began
to understand her a little. It was futile to ask her to make a decision,
to take any initiative. She could hold out forever against pleas which
involved an effort of the will on her part. And yet as he knew sh