rom Dr.
Hegelmann or from one of the staff of the nursing home, and go to
confront him before Elaine could see and warn him of the new
development. It would be strategic to allay suspicion of her coming
move, however.

"I want to see nothing more of Clifford," she replied. "We've agreed to
part. He's to go on with his life as John Riviere. If you like to marry
him as John Riviere, you're quite welcome to do so as far as I'm
concerned."

"You mean that you want to get permission from the Courts to presume
death, and then take possession of his property?"

"Any such arrangement is entirely a private matter between my husband
and myself."

"I doubt if John would agree to that arrangement now. He would make you
a suitable allowance, of course."

Olive could have choked this girl lying helpless in her chair, and yet
holding the whip-hand in their triangle of conflicting interests. She
felt as if she had been tripped and thrown without a word of warning. To
have travelled to Wiesbaden to play the outraged wife sitting in
judgment on the woman who had sinned, and now----!

If only Larssen were here to advise her!

She tried another move, altering her voice to as much sweetness as she
could command under her white-hot anger.

"My dear, I appreciate your feelings," she said. "You want to fight for
the man you love. You'd even blacken your character for his sake. You'd
face the sneers of the world for his sake. I admire you for it. It
brings us nearer together. I admit that I had misjudged you a little.
That was because I hadn't seen you and spoken to you. Now I know what a
fine character you are, and I want you not to bring unnecessary
suffering on yourself. I'm older than you, and I've seen very much more
of the world. I know that a good woman can't live with a married man for
long. The situation becomes intolerable after a time. One can't ignore
the conventions of the world one lives in."

"I'm ready to face all that. I've counted the cost."

"But is Clifford ready to? Think of him. Think of his work. He would not
only be ostracised socially, but also scientifically. His work would be
ignored. You would destroy his life-work. You would kill his ambition!"

Olive's thrust went home, though not to the exact point she aimed at.
Elaine remained silent as the thought raced through her of how Olive, if
she deemed it to her own interests, might kill Riviere's work.

"So you see, dear," pursued Olive, "that our interest