one afternoon when I was
out--and I thought it such a thundering shame that I left that same
night."

"And if you had stayed--you would have met her--how curious fate is
sometimes--isn't it? Perhaps you could have prevented your friend being
so foolish--if you had stayed."

"No, nothing in the world would ever prevent Michael from doing what he
wanted to--it is in the blood of all those old border families--heredity
again--they flourished by imposing their wills recklessly and snatching
and fighting, and who ever survived was a strong man. It has come down
to them in force and vigor and daring unto this day."

"But what happened about the marriage?" Sabine asked. "It interests me
so much; it sounds so romantic at this matter-of-fact time."

"Nothing happened, except that they went through the ceremony and the
girl left at once that same night, I believe, and Michael has never seen
or heard of her since--he tells me the time is up now when he can
divorce her for desertion, according to Scotch law--and I fancy he will.
It is a ridiculous position for them both. He does not even know if she
has not preferred some one else by now."

"Surely she would have given some sign if she had--but perhaps he does
not care."

"Not much. I fancy he amused himself a good deal at Ostende--" and
Henry smiled. "He has been away in the wilds for five years and
naturally has come back full of zest for civilization."

Sabine's full lips curled, and she looked at the sea again, and the
figure in the boat rapidly pulling away from the shore.

"If he chose to leave her alone all these years, he could not expect
anything else, could he, than that she would have grown to care for
another man."

"No, that is what I told him--and he said he was a dog in the manger."

"He did not want her himself, and yet did not wish to give her to any
one else--how disgustingly selfish!"

"Men are proverbially selfish," and Henry smiled again; "it is the
nature of the creatures."

The violet eyes were glowing as stars might glow could they be
angry--and their owner turned away from the sea with a fine shrug of her
shoulders--her thoughts were raging. So that is how Michael looked upon
the _affaire_! He was just the dog in the manger, and she was the hay!
But never, never would she submit to that! She would speak to him when
he came in and ask him to divorce her at once. Why should Henry ever
know?--even if Scotch divorces were reported she would appe