usly. "It often amuses me too. I did it
for a freak--and--a reason."

"But why `Fenham'? You haven't really married any--er--fool of that
name?"

"Not a bit. Thanks for the implied compliment all the same. The name
did as well as any other. That's all."

"What has become of Spence?"

"I don't know, and don't care. He turned out rather a cur," she
answered with a light laugh, showing no more confusion or restraint in
alluding to the circumstance, than he had done when first she broached
the subject of their parting. "I had more than enough of him in three
months, and couldn't stand the sight of him in five. He had just
succeeded to a lot of money, you know, and became afflicted with swelled
head there and then; in fact, became intolerably bumptious."

"Yes, I heard that from Skelsey, just when I was wondering hard how
Spence was in a sudden position to undertake a--well, not inexpensive
liability."

She gave him a little punch on the arm--not ill-naturedly, for she was
rather amused.

"It's mean of you to say that, Hilary. Come now, you can't say _you_
found it an `expensive liability.'"

"Well, I'll concede I didn't, Hermia--not pecuniarily, that is. But it
isn't to say that Spence would not have. I thought you were going to
make a serious business of it that time. Why didn't you? You had
hooked your fish, and seemed to be playing him all right. Then, just
when you ought to have gaffed him--up goes the top joint, whipping
aloft, and the fish is off."

"He was a cur, and I'm well rid of him," she returned, and there was a
hard, vindictive gleam in her dark eyes. "I did mean serious business,
and so did he--very much so. Do you know what choked him off, Hilary?
It was when he learned there was no necessity for you to set me free--
that I was free as air already. While he thought I was beyond his
reach, he declared he was only living for the day when I was no longer
so. But, directly he found I was quite within it, and had been all
along, he cooled off with a sort of magical rapidity."

"Yes. Human nature is that way--and here too, there was an additional
psychological motive. The knowledge would be likely to make a
difference, you know. Knock a few chips out of your--er--prestige."

She burst out laughing. "You have a neat, but rather horrid way of
putting things, Hilary. Yes. I quite see what you mean."

He made no reply, and for some moments they strolled on in silence. He
could