aroused herself and said:

"No, let him say what he will; it will be interesting."

Leicester felt the scorn of her words. At that moment he felt that she
regarded him as a creature beneath contempt. Still, he was fighting for
life, nay, more than life.

"I will admit," he said, "that appearances are against me." Here he
hesitated like a man who could not find words to express his thoughts.
He looked around almost helplessly, but only silence followed his words.

"Who gave you this--this information?" he demanded.

"That is no concern of yours or mine at present," she replied, "seeing
even you cannot deny the truth of what my father has repeated."

"There--are extenuating circumstances," he stammered.

"Yes, I suppose there were," she said coldly. "You were drunk; at least
I suppose that is the extenuating circumstance to which you refer. While
you were in this condition you said that all women were base, and
without honour. You said they could be all bought with a price. It seems
that my price was the position which you could offer me. Satisfy my
ambition, and then I would consent to be the wife of any man who might
choose to ask me."

Never until then did he realise the meaning of what he had done. Even in
the hours when he had regretted his wager most, he never felt its
purport as he felt it then. Her words burnt him like hot iron, but he
still spoke quietly.

"You put the case unfairly," he said; "it has never occurred to me in
that light."

"Then give it your own version," she said; "as I said, it will be
interesting."

He tried to speak, but could not. He tried to think of some means
whereby he could put the whole sordid business in a more favourable
light, but his tongue refused to obey his will. Nothing but the horrible
naked truth as she had put it appeared to him.

She looked up at him scornfully.

"You do not answer," she went on in the same quiet, bitter tones. "You
admit, then, that I was the subject of a wager, the wager being that you
could satisfy my ambition, and that therefore I could be won as your
_wife_! Of course I feel greatly--honoured. Who would not? I believe
that I was suggested by this other--gentleman. Then being thought a fit
subject for a wager, my price being a hundred pounds, you set to work
to gain admission to this house. Well, I refuse to be utilised in such a
way. That is all, I think. I am sure we need not detain you longer."

"No, no, it is not all," said Leicester