she said:

"Good-night!"

This time he had not even desired to kiss her.

The next moment she had disappeared in the gloom. She fled as fast as
she dared in the inky blackness of this November night. She could have
run for miles, or for hours, away! away from all this sordidness, this
avarice, this deceit and cruelty! Away! away from him!!

How glad she was that darkness enveloped her, for now she felt horribly
ashamed. Instinct, too, is cruel at times! Instinct had been silent so
long during the most critical juncture of her own folly. Now it spoke
loudly, warningly; now that it was too late.

Ashamed of her own stupidity and blindness! her vanity mayhap had alone
led her to believe the passionate protestations of a liar.

A liar! a mean, cowardly schemer, but her husband for all that! She owed
him love, honor and obedience; if he commanded, she must obey; if he
called she must fain go to him.

Oh! please God! that she had succeeded in purchasing her freedom from
him by placing L500,000 in his hands.

Shame! shame that this should be! that she should have mistaken vile
schemes for love, that a liar's kisses should have polluted her soul!
that she should be the wife, the bondswoman of a cheat!

CHAPTER XXIX

GOOD-BYE

"Sue!"

The cry rang out in the night close to her, and arrested her fleeing
footsteps. She was close to the ha-ha, having run on blindly, madly,
guided by that unaccountable instinct which makes for the shelter of
home.

In a moment she had recognized the voice. In a moment she was beside her
friend. Her passionate mood passed away, leaving her calm and almost at
peace. Shame still caused her cheeks to burn, but the night was dark and
doubtless he would not see.

But she could feel that he was near her, therefore, there was no fear in
her. What had guided her footsteps hither she did not know. Of course he
had guessed that she had been to meet her husband.

There were no exclamations or protestations between them. She merely
said quite simply:

"I am glad that you came to say 'good-bye!'"

The park was open here. The nearest trees were some fifty paces away,
and in the ghostly darkness they could just perceive one another's
silhouettes. The mist enveloped them as with a shroud, the damp cold air
caused them to shiver as under the embrace of death.

"It is good-bye," he rejoined calmly.

"Mayhap that I shall go abroad soon," she said.

"With that man?"

The cry broke o