ttered--"both
of them, and a lot of other good fellows besides; and I am an old, old
man, begad, an old fellow sitting here waiting for my call to come
and--" He paused, and looked up.

"Well, Hudson?"

"I have been speaking to Mr. Rankin, sir. He wished me to tell you--"
Hudson paused; his face was a little flushed, as with some inward
excitement.

"Go on!"

"Before his death, which occurred six months ago, Mr. Robert Meredyth,
who had made a great deal of money in Australia, re-purchased the old
Meredyth family estate at Starden in Kent, Starden Hall, meaning to
return to England, and take up his residence there. Unfortunately, he
died on board ship. His wife was dead, his only son was killed in the
war, and he had left the whole of his fortune, about three hundred
thousand pounds, and the Starden Hall Estate, to his niece, Miss Joan
Meredyth."

"By George! so the girl's an heiress!"

"And a very considerable one!"

"We won't say a word about it--not a word, Hudson. We'll get the girl
here, and patch up this quarrel between her and her young husband. When
that's done we'll spring the news on 'em, eh?"

"I think it would be a good idea, General," Hudson said.

CHAPTER X

"IN SPITE OF EVERYTHING"

Slotman leaned across his table. His eyes were glaring his face was
flushed a dusky red.

Against the wall, her face white as death, but her eyes unafraid, the
girl stood staring at him, in silent amazement.

"And you--you've given yourself airs, set yourself up to be all that you
are not! You've held me at arm's length, and all the time--all the time
you're nothing--nothing!" the man shouted. "I know all about you! I know
that a man offered you marriage to atone for the past--to atone--you
hear me? I tell you I know about you, and yet you dare--dare to give
yourself airs--dare to pretend to be a monument of innocence--you!"

"You are mad!" the girl said quietly.

"Yes, that's it--mad--mad for you! Mad with love for you!" Slotman
laughed sharply. "I'm a fool--a blind, mad fool; but you've got me as no
other woman ever did. I tell you I know about you and the past, but it
shall make no difference. I repeat my offer now--I'll marry you, in
spite of everything!"

It seemed to Joan that a kind of madness came to her, born of her fear
and her horror of this man.

She forced her way past him, and gained the door, how she scarcely
remembered. She could only recall a great and burning sense of rage and