ce if
he knew, so I would have to kill myself before you told. I'm too unhappy
to be afraid of dying--for my own sake. I've suffered such agonies of
fear, nothing could be worse. But there's a reason why it would be
wicked to die just now--of my own accord. There's a child coming--in a
few months. Afterward, I'll swear to you to kill myself, and then you
can tell Angelo everything. Won't you wait till then--only till the end
of the summer? Mary would say yes, if she were here."

The one weapon by which she could defend herself against their justice,
she had drawn, and stood weakly on guard, her strength spent.

Vanno and Peter looked at one another in silence, in the eyes of each
the same question. "Is this the truth?"

Marie read their faces. "Angelo knows that there will be a baby," she
whispered. "Indeed it's true. As soon as my child is born, I'm ready to
die."

"No one wants you to die!" Peter said sharply.

"Except myself. I must die if you're going to tell. If you won't wait,
it will have to be now, at any cost."

"You know that you force us to wait," Vanno answered. "Trust weak woman
to conquer! We cannot wish for your death. But I'll find Mary and marry
her, in spite of herself. As for my brother, never will I forgive him.
And I hope that I may never see you or Angelo again. Let your own soul
punish you, while you live."

"Are we to go?" asked Peter.

"Yes," Vanno said.

They went out together, and left Marie staring after them.

For a little while she was safe.

XXXIX

All this time Jim Schuyler's motor had been waiting. It was strange to
go out into the sunshine and see the smart chauffeur in his place,
placidly reading a newspaper.

"Won't you come with me to Monte Carlo?" Peter asked. "We may find Mary
at a hotel."

"I will come," Vanno said. "Her letter was posted there, yet I feel she
has gone. She used to talk about Italy, but I don't think she would go
to the house Hannaford left her. She couldn't bear the idea of living in
his place."

"Let's go straight to Mrs. Winter's and ask her advice," Peter
suggested. "She told me all about the Chateau Lontana last night."

They sat silent as the motor carried them swiftly along the white road.
Peter longed to talk, but all the things she most wished to say were
impossible to put into words. How Marie had checkmated them! It was like
her, Peter thought; but she did not doubt the truth of that thing the
Princess had said. There are s