the words came
slowly, in a monotonous, strained tone through his barely opened lips.

Sudden recollection flashed upon the doctor's mind of something Gordon
had said the night before. He had forgotten it, in his interest in the
peculiar features of the case, until that moment. "Oh," he exclaimed,
"is there something you want to speak of first? What is it?"

Brand's face was pale, his eyes staring and his hands clenched in the
struggle he was still making against that inward mastery bent on
forcing him to a confession he was determined he would not make. For
he greatly feared its effect upon Dr. Annister's intention to help
him, while its other probable consequences he was most unwilling to
accept.

But that other will within himself was stronger than his own
determination. Already he felt his defiance growing numb before it. He
walked irresolutely across the room and back while Dr. Annister looked
at him with surprise and dawning suspicion.

"Well, what is it?" the physician repeated.

Felix stopped short and gave himself an angry shake. Then with a
little snarl he faced about and began, with eyes averted:

"I don't suppose it will please you to hear it," he blurted out, and
the other could not know that the sharpness in his tones was merely
the expression of his futile rage against that hated other will,
housed within his own body, that was forcing him to do a thing sure to
interfere with his plans and pleasures. "But I'm going to tell you
and you can make the best of it."

In his impotent anger he was ready now to say any ruthless thing that
occurred to him. And not for any price would he have had Dr. Annister
discover that he was not making this confession of his own accord.

"You said yesterday that the engagement between Mildred and me must be
ended. Well, it is ended, but not in the way you meant. We are
married."

"What! What do you say?" the doctor exclaimed, wheeling toward him
with frowning brow.

"I said, we're married already. We've been married two months. I took
her over to Jersey one day and we were married there."

"You dared--Felix Brand, you dared do this, knowing what you knew?"

"It seems so," the other coolly replied. "Mildred was quite willing,"
he went on with a little sneer. "I needed her love. I'd have been a
fool not to take what she was ready to give me. And I married her.
Maybe I was a fool to do that, but I did."

"A fool? You were a knave, a wretch, to take advantage of an