ng me next that he's a second Scammel or something. What did you
say his name was?"

"Nicholas Forrester!" said Faith defiantly.

Peg stood stock still, as if she had lost all power of movement. She
stared at Faith with horrified eyes.

"Scammel!" she ejaculated.

Faith flushed scarlet.

"He's not Scammel, I tell you!" she said passionately. "How dare you say
that he is? I wouldn't believe it--not if everyone in the world told me
that he was!"

"You're a little fool!" Peg answered brutally. "I don't know why I
trouble about you at all, and that's a fact. You'll probably find that
he's married already. What on earth do you think he wants with a wife
like you? Why, with all his money he could have anybody he likes. Where
is he now, I should like to know?"

"He's gone away--he went to America this morning."

"America!" Peg laughed bitterly. "Yes, and that's where he'll stay. Mark
my words, you'll never see him again! Bah! You make me sick!"

She turned abruptly and struck off across the road, leaving Faith alone
staring after her tall figure. Then mechanically she began to walk on.

In spite of her brave defence of the Beggar Man, there was very little
real confidence in her heart. Peg was generally right, she knew, and the
knowledge filled her with terror.

A sudden wild longing for Forrester almost overcame her. How should she
get through these seventeen dreadful days till he came back?

Supposing he never came back!

Such things did happen, she knew! In the novelettes, of which Peg
devoured about six weekly, it was a common occurrence for the villain of
the story to desert his bride at the altar.

Panic closed about her heart. She began to run. All she wanted in the
world was to get to her mother and tell her of this dreadful thing that
had happened. She reached home white and breathless. The front door was
open, and the twins, just back from school, were playing in the narrow
passage.

The sight of them and the sound of their voices calmed her. She told
herself that she was foolish to have been so easily influenced by what
Peg had said. She looked at her new wedding-ring and gained courage.

Of course, they could not be true, all these horrible accusations. How
could the Beggar Man be Scammel, when he had told her himself that his
name was Forrester! She almost laughed at her panic. He had given her
money, and he had kissed her--he had taken her to his beautiful flat and
wished her to stay there. He