you might grow fond of me in time."

"Toni--for God's sake----"

"But I soon found out it was a mistake--our marriage--for you. I wasn't
half clever enough. I was only an ignorant, silly, unformed girl, and
you were so different. Oh, I tried my hardest to improve. I wanted to
prove to you that I wasn't quite such a little fool as you thought me. I
wanted to show you I had a soul--Mr. Herrick said I had, and I tried to
make myself more companionable to you--oh, I know I didn't succeed very
well," said Toni humbly, "but, you see, you didn't understand. I only
bothered you when I tried to help you in your work; and of course you
didn't want to talk to me about the things that really mattered to you."

"Toni--Toni--don't say such things."

"But you were always kind," said Toni wistfully, "and I sometimes
wondered if I had been wrong and you did care for me a little. But I
always knew, deep down in my heart, that it was all a mistake, and
now"--suddenly the composure which had supported her so far gave
way--"now I know I ought not to have married you--and--and I'm sorry,
Owen--I'm most frightfully sorry----"

All at once she pressed her hands to her eyes as though to shut out the
sight of his face; and then, as he started forward, vague words of
comfort on his lips, she flung her arms out over the table and laid her
head down on them in an attitude of utter desolation.

For a moment Owen stood motionless, while the light from the rose-shaded
candles played over the silky black hair and cast a pool of red colour
on the smooth white neck rising out of its chiffon draperies. The scene
was one which would never fade from Owen's memory; and in after days he
could visualize it to the minutest detail.

The red and yellow of the chrysanthemums in a big silver bowl, the
purple bloom of the piled-up grapes before Toni, the ruby of the wine in
the decanters, the reflections cast by the candles in the shining
surface of the uncovered table, the ruddy glow of the firelight playing
over Toni's pale-coloured skirts--to the day of his death Owen would be
able to recall the scene at will: and never would he forget the chill in
his veins as he realized that the girl he had thought a child was a
woman after all....

"Toni--Toni dear." He laid his hand on her shoulder. "For heaven's sake,
Toni, look up and tell me you don't mean all the terrible things you've
been saying. Of course I love you. Why, haven't I shown you that all
along?