mpression the writer tries to give are absolutely false."

"Quite so. May I burn the letters now?"

There was a fire and Nigel threw them into it. He saw no point in
keeping them to confront Mary with. She would confess anyhow.

"May I ask one thing more?"

"My wife knows nothing about them," repeated Percy.

Nigel thought what a pity that was. If she had, she would not have come
to the party; things might have been tided over. But now. ... He had no
hope of the wish of his life, he was as furious as a spoilt child who
is deprived of a favourite toy--or, rather, disappointed of all hopes of
getting one. He became more and more angry with Percy and longed to
annoy him. The fellow was too satisfied--too lucky--he had everything
too much his own way!

"May I ask one thing?" said Nigel, as the letters were burning and he
gave them one last irritated touch with the poker, "may I ask, does this
affair give you the impression that I--only I naturally--had
any--er--motives in trying to see Mrs. Kellynch often? If I may put it
plainly, did you think I cared for her in a way that I had no right to?"

"To tell you the honest truth," said Percy, "as I choose to be frank
with you, I won't say you had ... motives, but I have the impression
that you--er--admire her too much."

Nigel waited a moment.

"And there you are perfectly right, Kellynch."

Percy started up, looking a little pale.

* * * * *

Nigel had got a little of his revenge.

He had annoyed the comfortable Percy.

"But let me say that all this time I have never, never shown it by word
or look. Our talks were almost entirely about Madeline Irwin and my
brother, or about Rupert Denison. Your wife is so exceedingly kind and
good that she wished to see Miss Madeline as happy as herself."

"Yes, yes, I know all that," said Percy impatiently.

"I shall follow your wishes to the very letter," said Nigel. "You see
how very open I've been. How will you explain to her that I drop your
acquaintance?"

"I think I shall tell her now," said Percy, "that I had received a
letter and that I've seen you. But I shall tell her we parted the best
of friends, and nothing must be done, above all things, to annoy or
agitate her."

He looked at the closed leather case again.

"Just now I want to take special care of her. I daresay she won't notice
not meeting you, as we're not going out in the evening the rest of the
season nor entertaining."