ining!--the way I had in my mind was to leave you over here with
plenty of money, and be suddenly called to America on business. Then, if
it would hurt your feelings to have me put myself out of the way, it
needn't hurt them for something to _seem_ to happen. Nelson Smith could
be wiped off the map; and if you weren't free to marry somebody else, at
least you'd be free of me.

"But if you won't take my money that plan will not work. You can hate me
as much as you like, but I'm not going to leave you alone in the world
without a penny. Neither you nor any one can force me to that.... I've
thought of another thing, though, since we began to talk. Only I don't
like to propose it, Anita. It isn't a good plan--from your point of
view."

"I'd better hear it."

"Well, I might get a cable hurrying me across to the other side, and--you
might go along."

"Oh!"

"I warned you you wouldn't think it a good plan. But since I've begun,
let me finish. In Canada and the United States I'm known--in my least
important character--as Michael Donaldson, and I've tried to keep the
name clean because of my father and mother. When there's been anything
shady doing I've taken a fancy name and made such changes as I could in
myself. The reason I didn't want you to see the name in the register was
because of what happened on the _Monarchic_. I'd given you that ring, you
know. I couldn't resist doing that. I wanted you to have it, not because
of its value, but because it's beautiful. I thought it was like you,
somehow. I had to make up its loss in another way to the man who expected
to have it--that 'Napoleon' I mentioned."

"I know, the old man--Paul Van Vreck," Annesley guessed with weary
impatience.

"I'll not say yes or no to that. But it will be bad for me, and perhaps
for you, too, if you ever mention Paul Van Vreck in such a connection.
Not that you'd be believed."

"I sha'n't mention him again."

"Just as well not.... But it was my name and my plan I began to speak
about. I was going to say, you needn't be afraid that if you took my
name (which is yours now), you'd have to be ashamed of it. We could
go to America, and in England Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Smith would soon be
forgotten. I'd hand over the money you hate to charities--not the kind
of charities I've been supporting here! They've all been part of what
you call my fraud, and have only given me a chance to bring some rather
queer-looking fish around me, who might have raised