ped her foot, and with both hands
threw the tears from her eyes in wide and furious gestures. "He
told me you were married----"

"Did you let him think you hadn't known that?" demanded Corliss.

"I tell you I didn't let him think _anything_! He said you would
never be able to get a divorce: that your wife hates you too much
to get one from you, and that she'll never----"

"See here, Cora," he said harshly, "I told you I'd been married; I
told you before I ever kissed you. You understood perfectly----"

"I did not! You said you _had_ been. You laughed about it. You
made me think it was something that had happened a long time ago.
I thought of course you'd been divorced----"

"But I told you----"

"You told me after! And then you made me think you could easily
get one--that it was only a matter of form and----"

"Cora," he interrupted, "you're the most elaborate little
self-deceiver I ever knew. I don't believe you've ever faced
yourself for an honest moment in----"

"Honest! _you_ talk about `honest'! You use that word and face
_me_?"

He came closer, meeting her distraught eyes squarely. "You love to
fool yourself, Cora, but the role of betrayed virtue doesn't suit
you very well. You're young, but you're a pretty experienced woman
for all that, and you haven't done anything you didn't want to.
You've had both eyes open every minute, and we both know it. You
are just as wise as----"

"You're lying and _you_ know it! What did _I_ want to make Richard
go into your scheme for? You made a fool of me."

"I'm not speaking of the money now," he returned quickly. "You'd
better keep your mind on the subject. Are you coming away with
me?"

"What for?" she asked.

"What _for_?" he echoed incredulously. "I want to know if you're
coming. I promise you I'll get a divorce as soon as it's
possible----"

"Val," she said, in a tone lower than she had used since he
entered the room; "Val, do you want me to come?"

"Yes."

"Much?" She looked at him eagerly.

"Yes, I do." His answer sounded quite genuine.

"Will it hurt you if I don't?"

"Of course it will."

"Thank heaven for that," she said quietly.

"You honestly mean you won't?"

"It makes me sick with laughing just to imagine it! I've done some
hard little thinking, lately, my friend--particularly last night,
and still more particularly this morning since that man was here.
I'd cut my throat before I'd go with you. If you had your divorce
I wouldn't marr