rom his chair and towered over
her. "You have listened to the lies of that braggart, Thode, and
condemned me unheard! His grand-stand play at the time of the raid has
blinded you and you will not be fair. You do not even know what love
is, but I can teach you and I will! I offended you by my impetuosity
when you provoked me to madness, but now I will be in the dust before
you! Only tell me that you don't quite hate me, that I have a fighting
chance!"

Willa realized the truth of his sudden change of front; the
granddaughter of Giles Murdaugh would be a more desirable asset as a
wife than Ripley Halstead's daughter. His audacity in attempting to
woo her in the very home of the girl he had so lately made love to, and
with his former conduct still fresh in the minds of both, filled her
with disgust and loathing, but she held herself with an iron hand.

"What can I say to you, Mr. Wiley?" She forced a smile. "I can
scarcely believe you serious!"

"I will prove it to you!" he exclaimed, bending until his impassioned
eyes were close to hers. "I will show you how patient I can be, and
devoted. I will wait, I will not try to rush you into a decision, but
you are going to care for me, Billie! You are going to be my wife."

"Upon my word!" A light voice, oddly shaken, came from behind them.
"You two look fearfully intense! Do I intrude?"

Angie, her face aflame, stood in the doorway.

"On the contrary!" Wiley was the first to recover himself. "A
delightful surprise, my dear Angelica! Had I known you were coming
directly home from the opera I would have offered my services."

"I--I thought you were going on to the Judsons' dance," Willa stammered.

"Evidently." Angie sneered, looking from one to the other of them. "I
was mistaken also, it appears. I fancied you were indisposed, but that
was a mere facon de parler, no doubt.--My cousin is getting on, isn't
she, Starr?"

Willa flushed, but Starr Wiley replied easily:

"We were just renewing our acquaintanceship, Miss Murdaugh and I met in
Limasito, you know."

"How unfortunate!" Angie tittered. "Just when Willa was so
successfully living down the past, too! It really wasn't tactful of
you, Starr--"

"You are mistaken once more, Angelica!" Willa had risen and her very
lips were white. "I am not trying to live down the past, but to live
up to it! If you will excuse me now--"

"Oh, don't let me interrupt your charming tete-a-tete," shrugged Angie