mpersonated, and using my name
illicitly."

Olive turned on the shipowner with a sudden wild fury, her eyes shooting
fire and her lips quivering. "Why did you have Clifford impersonated?"
she hissed out.

Larssen was taken aback at this utterly unexpected onslaught. "That's
_his_ version!" he retorted.

"My husband says so--that's sufficient for me!"

"Then I can't argue."

"Do you deny it?"

"Emphatically!"

"You told me Clifford was in Canada, when all the time you knew he was
at Arles. Didn't you tell me that?"

"To save his face."

"How?"

"Obviously because I knew he was dallying at Arles and Nimes with this
Verney woman. You haven't heard one-tenth of the facts yet. You haven't
heard that he stayed in the same hotel with her at Arles. Went with her
to Nimes when the hotel people began to object. At Nimes, for decency's
sake, they stayed at different houses, but he had her hanging around his
villa. Went lovemaking with her in the moonlight up to a quiet place on
the hillside. Then, had her live with him in the Villa Clementine.
Finally, took her to Wiesbaden. These are all facts for which I can
bring you irrefutable evidence. I had my secretary shadowing him from
the moment he left Paris."

Olive turned on her husband with another lightning change of mood.

"Is she so very beautiful, this enchantress of yours?" she queried with
the velvety softness of a cat.

"She is blind," answered Matheson with a quiver in his words. "Blinded
for life while trying to warn me of a vitriol attack. Olive, I want you
to listen without interruption while I tell you on my word of honour
what are the facts underneath that vile story of Larssen's. I want you
to believe and have pity.

"We had never seen one another before Arles. There we met as casual
tourists. It happened that I was able to defend her from the assault of
a half-drunken peasant. After that we parted as the merest
acquaintances. By pure chance we met again at Nimes. She came to Nimes
to gather further material for her scene-painting. For scene purposes
she had to make a sketch at night-time, and I went with her as escort as
I would have done with any other woman. We were followed by the peasant
Crau. He was about to throw vitriol on me when Miss Verney intervened.
She received the acid full in her eyes. She is, I believe, blinded for
life. Even now, as I speak, she lies on the operating table.... Olive,
there has been nothing between us!"

His voice