Presently, out of the darkness stepped a man
and a woman, and passed directly under the electric lamp. He saw their
faces distinctly, especially the woman's, which was strained and
haggard, as she listened to her companion. As they came nearer and
stood close to the edge of the dock, it was possible for Douglas to
overhear parts of the conversation. He could not see their faces now,
though he could observe their forms, and he knew that the woman was
standing near the water, and it was quite evident that she was weeping.

"But you promised me, Ben; you really did," she was saying.

"I know I did, Jean, but we must wait a while," was the reply.

"But we cannot wait," the woman urged. "You know how serious it is if
we delay much longer. All will know, and I shall be disgraced."

"Tut, tut," and the man stamped angrily upon the floor of the dock.
"Don't talk so foolishly. A few weeks won't make any difference."

"How long do you think?" the woman asked.

"Oh, five or six, I should imagine."

"No, I tell you that will be too late. It must not be longer than two.
Promise me that it will not be more than that."

"Well, I promise," the man slowly assented.

"Swear to it, then," the woman demanded. "Place your left hand upon
your heart, and hold your right hand up to heaven, and swear by Him who
is watching and listening that you will be true to your word."

A coarse, brutal laugh came from the man's lips.

"Won't you believe me?" he demanded.

"Not unless you swear."

"Well, I won't, so that's the end of it."

At these words the woman gave a low moan, and what she said Douglas
could not hear. Whatever it was it made the man angry and he again
stamped his foot.

"What do I care?" he growled. "You can go to the snivelling old idiot
and tell him all you want to."

"Oh, Ben!" and the woman laid a hand upon his arm, "how can you say
such things?"

With a curse he flung her hand away, and then in a twinkling he gave
her a push, and before she could recover herself she had gone backwards
over the edge of the dock. With a frightened cry she disappeared, and
the man, instead of trying to rescue her, leaped aside and vanished
into the darkness.

All this happened so quickly that Douglas hardly realised what had
taken place before it was all over. His first impulse was to spring
after the man who had committed the cowardly deed. But the thought of
the woman down there in the water deterred him and cause