.

"Shall I teach you the moves?" he had smiled, when they were alone
together.

Alice's reply had been so indignantly short and sharp that Arkwright,
after a moment's pause, had said, with a whimsical smile that yet
carried a touch of sadness:

"I am forced to surmise from your answer that you think it is _you_ who
should be teaching _me_ moves. At all events, I seem to have been making
some moves lately that have not suited you, judging by your actions.
Have I offended you in any way, Alice?"

The girl turned with a quick lifting of her head. Alice knew that if
ever she were to speak, it must be now. Never again could she hope for
such an opportunity as this. Suddenly throwing circumspect caution quite
aside, she determined that she would speak. Springing to her feet she
crossed the room and seated herself in Billy's chair at the chess-table.

"Me! Offend me!" she exclaimed, in a low voice. "As if I were the one
you were offending!"

"Why, _Alice!_" murmured the man, in obvious stupefaction.

Alice raised her hand, palm outward.

"Now don't, _please_ don't pretend you don't know," she begged, almost
piteously. "Please don't add that to all the rest. Oh, I understand,
of course, it's none of my affairs, and I wasn't going to speak," she
choked; "but, to-day, when you gave me this chance, I had to. At first
I couldn't believe it," she plunged on, plainly hurrying against Billy's
return. "After all you'd told me of how you meant to fight it--your
tiger skin. And I thought it merely _happened_ that you were here alone
with her those days I came. Then, when I found out they were _always_
the days Mr. Henshaw was away at the doctor's, I had to believe."

She stopped for breath. Arkwright, who, up to this moment had shown that
he was completely mystified as to what she was talking about, suddenly
flushed a painful red. He was obviously about to speak, but she
prevented him with a quick gesture.

"There's a little more I've got to say, please. As if it weren't bad
enough to do what you're doing _at all_, but you must needs take it at
such a time as this when--when her husband _isn't_ doing just what he
ought to do, and we all know it--it's so unfair to take her now, and
try to--to win--And you aren't even fair with him," she protested
tremulously. "You pretend to be his friend. You go with him everywhere.
It's just as if you were _helping_ to--to pull him down. You're one with
the whole bunch." (The blood suddenly