, I tell you," she said firmly, putting on her hat.

"Don't do it, Virginia, don't do it!" he cried. "Remember, if you
leave me like this you will have to come to me or it will
be--forever."

"Then it will be forever!" she said decisively. "I won't be degraded
and humiliated! I won't be told that I was bought and paid for! You've
been able to say it up to now, but you'll never be able to say it
again!" Pointing to the jewels she added: "There they are! I give them
all back to you."

She stopped and suddenly noticed the rings she was wearing. They,
also, were a present from him. With a subdued exclamation she
muttered:

"I had almost forgotten these!"

Taking the gems off her fingers one by one, she laid them on the table
before him. Her wedding ring still remained on her finger. That she
hesitated to remove. She looked from the ring to her husband and made
a movement as if about to remove it. Stafford, in his distress, made a
supplicating gesture.

"Don't do that!" he cried

"Why not?" she replied coldly. "Since it's to be forever, why not?"

Taking off the wedding ring she placed it on the table with the others
and left the room, closing the door behind her.

After she had gone Stafford went to the table, picked up the ring and
softly read the inscription to himself:

"'_From Robert to Virginia, with eternal love!'_ Eternal love!"
he echoed bitterly to himself. "What irony!"

Slipping the ring into his pocket he stood for a time as if in deep
thought. Then going to the telephone, he quickly unhooked the
receiver.

"Hello! Give me Madison, 74. Hurry! Hurry! Is this Burley's Detective
Agency? Is Mr. Burley there? Oh, is that you, Burley? This is Robert
Stafford. I want the best man you have to meet me at my office in half
an hour. Yes--your very best. What? No, no! I don't want him to watch
anyone; I want him to protect someone. In half an hour, remember."

Replacing the telephone on the desk, he remained seated, and drawing
from his pocket the wedding ring he gazed at it murmuring to himself:

"With eternal love!"

[Illustration: TAKING OFF THE WEDDING RING, SHE PLACED IT ON THE
TABLE. PAGE 270]

Chapter XVIII

For the next few days there was an atmosphere of gloom and depression
at No.-- Riverside Drive. Below stairs consternation reigned. No one
knew exactly what had occurred, but that the relations between master
and mistress were badly strained was plainly evident. Mrs. Stafford
had d