t by accident or design that as he reached the
table he threw his broad-brimmed hat, down with such an unnecessary
flourish of the arm that he knocked over one of the heavy pewter
candlesticks, so that it rolled down upon the floor, causing the tallow
candle to sputter and die out with a weird and hissing sound?

Only one dim yellow light now illumined the room, it shone full into the
pallid face of the young wife standing some three paces from the table,
whilst Prince Amede d'Orleans' face between her and the light, was once
more in deep shadow.

"You are unjust," she repeated firmly. "Have I not run the gravest
possible risks for your sake, and those without murmur or complaint, for
the past six months? Did I not compromise my reputation for you by
meeting you alone ... of nights? ..."

"I was laboring under the idea, my wench, that you were doing all that
because you cared for me," he retorted with almost brutal curtness, "and
because you had the desire to become the Princess d'Orleans; that desire
is now gratified and ..."

He had not really meant to be unkind. There was of a truth no object to
be gained by being brutal to her now. But that wallet, which she held so
tightly clutched, acted as an irritant to his nerves. Never of very
equable temperament and holding all women in lofty scorn, he chafed
against all parleyings with his wife, now that the goal of his ambition
was so close at hand.

She winced at the insult, and the tears which she fain would have hidden
from him, rose involuntarily to her eyes.

"Ah!" she sighed, "if you only knew how little I care for that title of
princess! ... Did you perchance think that I cared? ... Nay! how gladly
would I give up all thought of ever bearing that proud appellation, in
exchange for a few more happy illusions such as I possessed three months
ago."

"Illusions are all very well for a school-girl, my dear Suzanne," he
remarked with a cool shrug of his massive shoulders. "Reality should be
more attractive to you now...."

He looked her up and down, realizing perhaps for the first time that she
was exquisitely beautiful; beautiful always, but more so now in the
pathos of her helplessness. Somewhat perfunctorily, because in his
ignorance of women he thought that it would please her, and also because
vaguely something human and elemental had suddenly roused his pulses, he
relinquished his nonchalant attitude, and came a step nearer to her.

"You are very beautiful