udish or over
conscious of her own righteousness, but once or twice after the shock
of her disillusionment in regard to him had lessened she had dreamed of
the possibility of enduing him little by little with some of the
qualities she had once fancied he possessed, and, as she vaguely
thought of it, rehabilitating him. Now, however, the thing seemed
impossible, and, what was more, the desire to bring it about had gone.
Hateful as the situation was becoming, she was honest, and she could
not let him credit her with a motive that had not influenced her.

In the meanwhile, her very coldness and aloofness stirred desire in the
man, and she shrank as she saw a spark of passion kindling in his eyes.
It was merely passion, she felt, for she recognised that there was a
strain of grossness in him.

"No," she said, "that reason was not one which had any weight with me."

Hawtrey's face hardened. "Then," he said grimly, "we'll get on to the
third. Wyllard's credit is a precious thing to you; sooner than
anything should cast a stain on it you would beg a favour from--me.
You have set him up on a pedestal, and it would hurt you if he came
down. Considering everything, it's a remarkably curious situation."

Agatha grew a trifle pale. Gregory was horribly right, for she had no
doubt now that he had merely thrust upon her a somewhat distressing
truth. It was to save Wyllard's credit, and for that alone she had
undertaken this most unpalatable task. She did not answer, and Hawtrey
stood up.

"Wyllard has his faults, but there's this in his favour--he keeps a
promise," he said. "One has a certain respect for a person who never
goes back upon his word. Well, because I really think he would like
it, I'll keep those men."

He paused for a moment, as if to let her grasp the drift of this, and
then turned to her with something that startled her in his voice and
manner. "The question is--are you willing to emulate his example?"

Agatha shrank from the glow in his eyes. "Oh!" she broke out, "you
cannot urge me now--after what you said."

Hawtrey laughed harshly. "Well," he said, "I'll come for my answer
very shortly. It seems that you and Wyllard attach a good deal of
importance to a moral obligation--and I must remind you that the time
agreed upon is almost up."

Agatha sat very still for perhaps half a minute, while a sense of
dismay crept over her. There was no doubt that Gregory's retort was
fully warranted. She ha