y, and then went on cautiously:

"If his wife were not your sister I should say that one might punish him
well through her."

Kate cast him a hard, scrutinizing look.

"You have some score against him yourself," she said with conviction.

"Perhaps I have, my lady. Perhaps I too hate him. He is offensively good,
you know."

There was silence in the room for a full minute while the devil worked in
both hearts.

"What did you mean by saying one might punish him through his wife? He
does not love his wife."

"Are you sure?"

"Quite sure."

"Perhaps he loves some one else, my lady."

"He does." She said it proudly.

"Perhaps he loves you, my lady." He said it softly like the suggestion
from another world. The lady was silent, but he needed no other answer.

"Then indeed, the way would be even clearer,--were not his wife your
sister."

Kate looked at him, a half knowledge of his meaning beginning to dawn in
her eyes.

"How?" she asked laconically.

"In case his wife should leave him do you think my lord would hold his
head so high?"

Kate still looked puzzled.

"If some one else should win her affection, and should persuade her to
leave a husband who did not love her, and who was bestowing his heart"--he
hesitated an instant and his eye traveled significantly to the roll of
bills still lying where David had left them--"and his gifts," he hazarded,
"upon another woman----"

Kate grasped the thought at once and an evil glint of eagerness showed in
her eyes. She could see what an advantage it would be to herself to have
Marcia removed from the situation. It would break one more cord of honor
that bound David to a code which was hateful to her now, because its
existence shamed her. Nevertheless, unscrupulous as she was she could not
see how this was a possibility.

"But she is offensively good too," she said as if answering her own
thoughts.

"All goodness has its weak spot," sneered the man. "If I mistake not you
have found my lord's. It is possible I might find his wife's."

The two pairs of eyes met then, filled with evil light. It was as if for
an instant they were permitted to look into the pit, and see the
possibilities of wickedness, and exult in it. The lurid glare of their
thoughts played in their faces. All the passion of hate and revenge rushed
upon Kate in a frenzy. With all her heart she wished this might be. She
looked her co-operation in the plan even before her hard voice answered: