al.

She would not allow herself to listen but forced the argument on to a
safer plane. "This one," she said, "has nothing to do with an author
at all, there can't be all those terrible misunderstandings. Oh, don't
you see, Hubert," she cried, "that if I wrote another book, all
obviously fiction, these horrid gossips may believe at last the other
was all like that too? Besides, it's stupid to refuse two hundred
pounds just when you say things are so bad and we may have to move."

She had not meant it so, but this was her worst cut of all.

Hubert remembered his own failure; was reminded of her huge success.

A wife selling her books ten times as well as his own--a wife who wrote
"for fun" in idle hours--a wife whom he had treated as a silly
child.... "This one'll fail," he said almost fiercely, "it's bound to.
You're nothing but an amateur, _I_'ve been at the job fifteen years.
Two hundred's all you'll get, and much good may it do you!"

Full of conflicting moods; sullen yet ashamed; aware of his unworthy
jealousy yet hardly able to endure the thought; sorry for her yet sick
with his own wound; he turned away before the better side in him should
win and he implore the pardon of this woman that he would always love,
however much he hated her.

"Hubert," she began, aghast at his excitement.

"We won't argue," he said, back at the safe level of those days just
past, and moved towards the door. She hesitated, not sure who had won.

At the door he turned. "Oh, by the way," he said, as to a servant. "I
shall want a room for Ruth to-morrow. She's coming down before
teatime."

Helena gave a short bitter laugh, which he just heard as the door
closed.

She saw the issue of the tussle now.

He had failed to subdue the disobedient wife, and he was asking down
his sister!

CHAPTER XXV

THE BROKEN TRIANGLE

Geoffrey Alison, bursting with anxiety for Helena's decision, found her
next morning in exultant readiness.

"I accept," she cried excitedly, almost before he had got inside the
door. "I accept Blatchley's offer. The book is growing splendidly.
I've done two chapters and I see it all."

He thought he had never seen her in such good form, and he wondered.
She had been so cold about it yesterday. He did not, of course, know
about the meals between....

She could not, however, help telling him a little of it.

"Oh," she cried, "you don't know how glorious it'll be, having some
work to do again