The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Reason Why, by Elinor Glyn

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Title: The Reason Why

Author: Elinor Glyn

Release Date: May 26, 2004 [EBook #12450]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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[Illustration: "Not by a glance or a turn of the head did he let his
bride see how wildly her superlative attraction had kindled the fire in
his blood."]

THE REASON WHY

BY ELINOR GLYN

1911

Author of "His Hour," "Three Weeks," etc.

ILLUSTRATED BY EDMUND FREDERICK

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

"Not by a glance or a turn of his head did he let his bride see how
wildly her superlative attraction had kindled the fire in his blood"

"The whole expression of her face changed as he came and leaned upon the
piano"

"With his English self-control and horror of a scene, he followed his
wife to the door"

"'Zara!' he said distractedly ...'Can I not help you?'"

THE REASON WHY

CHAPTER I

People often wondered what nation the great financier, Francis Markrute,
originally sprang from. He was now a naturalized Englishman and he
looked English enough. He was slight and fair, and had an immaculately
groomed appearance generally--which even the best of valets cannot
always produce. He wore his clothes with that quiet, unconscious air
which is particularly English. He had no perceptible accent--only a
deliberate way of speaking. But Markrute!--such a name might have come
from anywhere. No one knew anything about him, except that he was
fabulously rich and had descended upon London some ten years previously
from Paris, or Berlin, or Vienna, and had immediately become a power in
the city, and within a year or so, had grown to be omnipotent in certain
circles.

He had a wonderfully appointed house in Park Lane, one of those smaller
ones just at the turn out of Grosvenor Street, and there he entertained
in a reserved fashion.

It had been remarked by people who had time to think--rare cases in
these days--that he had never made a disadvantageous friend, from his
very first ar