anxious to squeeze everyone. But I
don't want any risks. We're nearly out of the wood. I don't want to
be trapped now. And I've an enemy, Violet--a pretty dangerous enemy,
too. I fancy that most of this activity at Scotland Yard and
thereabouts lately, is due to him."

"I'll go," she said, drawing on her gloves. "Shall I telephone to
you?"

He nodded.

"Telephone me at home," he said. "Tell Dorrington, or
Huntley--whichever you see--that the affair must be closed up--either
dropped or settled. The risk is too great. My other work is becoming
more and more important every day. I ought not to be mixed up with
this sort of thing at all, Violet."

"Why are you?" she asked.

"Money," he answered. "One must have money. One can do nothing without
money. It isn't that you or any of the other places make such an
amazing lot. It's from Dorrington, of course, that the biggest draws
come. Still, on the whole it's a good income."

"And you're going to give it all up?" she remarked.

He nodded.

"I daren't go on," he said. "We've reached about the limit."

"How are you going to live, then?" she asked curiously. "You're not
the sort of man to go back to poverty."

Saton considered for a moment. After all, perhaps it would pay him
best to be straightforward with this girl. He would tell her the
truth. If she were disagreeable about it, he could always swear that
he had been joking.

"Violet," he said, "I will tell you what I am going to do. It does
not sound very praiseworthy, but you must remember that my work, my
real hard work, means a great deal to me, and for its sake I am
willing to put up with a good deal of misunderstanding. I am going to
ask you to break off our engagement. I am going to marry a young lady
who has a great deal of money."

Violet sat perfectly still in her chair. For several seconds she did
not utter a syllable. Her lips were a little parted. The color seemed
suddenly drawn from her face, and her eyes narrowed. One realized then
the pernicious effect of cosmetics. Her blackened eyebrows were
painfully apparent. The little patch of rouge was easily discernible
against the pallor of her powdered skin. She was suddenly ugly. Saton,
looking at her, was amazed that he could ever have brought himself to
touch her lips.

"Ah!" she remarked. "I hadn't thought of that. You want to marry some
one else, eh?"

Saton nodded.

"It isn't that I want to," he declared, "only, as you know, I must
have mone