had sometimes
thought that he would write to her, and then he had felt that that would
not be fair. Behind all his dreams and romances he always saw some
destiny whose colours were woven simply for him, Francis Breton, and
this confidence in an especial personally constructed God had been
responsible for his wildest and most foolish mistakes.

Often had he seen this especial God bringing his cousin and himself
together. Always he had known that, in some way, they two were to be
chosen to work out, together, vengeance and destruction against all the
Beaminsters. When, therefore, that meeting in the Rands' drawing-room
had taken place he had accepted it all. She was even more wonderful
than he had expected, but he had known, instantly, that she was his
companion, his chosen, his fellow-traveller; between them he had
realized a claim, implied on some common knowledge or experience, at the
first moment of their meeting.

From the age of ten, when he had been petted by one of his father's
mistresses, his life had been entangled with women; some he had loved,
others he had been in love with, others again had _loved him_.

He did not know now whether he were in love with Rachel or no--he only
knew that the whole current of his life was changed from the moment that
he met her and that, until the end of it, she now would be intermingled
with all his history.

At first so sure had he been of the workings of fate in this matter that
he had been content (for the first time in all his days) to wait with
his hands folded. During this period all thought of action against the
Beaminsters on the one hand or a relapse into the company of the friends
of his earlier London days on the other, had been out of the question.
This certainty of Rachel's future alliance with himself had made such
things impossibly absurd.

Then had come the announcement of her engagement to Seddon. For a moment
the shock had been terrific. He had suddenly seen the face of his
especial God and it was blind and stupid and dead....

Then swiftly upon that had come thought of his grandmother. This was, of
course, her doing--Rachel was too young to know--She would discover her
mistake: the engagement would be broken off.

During this time he had met Rachel on several occasions, and although
the meetings had been very brief, yet always he had felt that same
unacknowledged, secret intimacy. After every meeting his confidence had
risen, once again, to the skies.