haven't heard of his good luck." Eva had carefully refrained
from the announcement until the moment was ripe. "He has just come into
some money--nearly two hundred a year; and he can chuck dentistry
to-morrow, if he likes."

"Even then, he wouldn't want a scandal----"

"Oh, Toni, I could shake you," said Eva, sitting down with a thump on
the sofa near her. "Because some people have not got red blood in their
veins, you think no one has. I tell you Leonard Dowson would throw up
everything to-morrow--brave any amount of scandal, if only you would go
with him. He could take you abroad somewhere, America perhaps; and then,
when your husband had got his divorce, you could marry Leonard and
settle down as nicely as possible. Then Owen would be free to do as he
chose with his life, and this unhappy state of things would be
forgotten."

"Marry him? Marry Leonard Dowson?" Even yet Toni could not assimilate
the idea.

"Well, why not? He is madly in love with you, Toni. He would give up
everything in the world for you, and I honestly think that things are
impossible as they are. But of course you know better than I do, and if
you feel you must stay with your husband----"

"No--no." Toni's breath came in short gasps, as though she had been
running. "I can't stay with Owen. I make him miserable, he's ashamed of
me--I'm no good to him, only a bore--a useless creature who's tied to
him ... if I were gone he would be really better off--and as you say, he
could marry again----"

"I don't suppose he would do that," said Eva gently. "You know he _is_
very fond of you, Toni--I got even Jim to acknowledge that the other
night"--she watched Toni wince at the "even"--"and it's only that
you--well, you're not quite his sort, somehow."

Her words seemed to rouse Toni to anger.

"You have said that already," she said sharply. "You needn't repeat it."

"I'm sorry, Toni." Eva's big eyes looked imploringly into hers. "I'm
afraid I've said far too much to-day. After all, I have no earthly right
to interfere, and you are quite justified in resenting my interference."

Toni's sudden anger died away.

"Oh, you were quite right," she said, sighing as she spoke.

"I'm glad you said what you did--and I can't help knowing you are right.
Only"--she shivered, and her face looked white and pinched--"somehow
until I heard you saying it I hoped I myself was making a mistake."

"But--you'll not do anything rash?" Eva was vaguely uneasy at the res