he saw how the land lay.
If he inherited, Lady Margot Blount would be useful in society; if he
were cut off, he would reserve the chance of marrying the heiress. And
we have both been deceived, and have imagined that he was in earnest! I
have seen him on the stage, and congratulated him on his success, but I
was not prepared for such finished acting in real life."

"No!" said Ruth drearily, "you have not been deceived; he was not acting
with you. I heard him speak just now, and I felt the difference. Oh,
Margot, he is playing with me, but he is in earnest with you; he does
really love you!"

Margot's lip curled scornfully.

"It is hardly my idea of love. If I am ever married, it shall be to a
man who will risk something for my sake, not to a mercenary who thinks
first of himself. I suspected something of this from the first
afternoon I called at the Court. You were sitting together on the
terrace, and something in his attitude... Oh, well, why dwell on it any
more?--it is none too pleasant. Ruth dear, you have avoided me, and I
have seemed to force myself upon you, but I was determined to find out
the truth, for both our sakes. It is better so, is it not?"

Ruth's dull glance of misery was pathetic to behold.

"I suppose it is," she said slowly, "but just now I cannot feel glad.
Everything seems over. I was so happy, and it will be so difficult to
go on living in the same house, meeting at every hour of the day. It is
easier for you, for you need not see him unless you wish, and you do not
care as I did."

"Don't I?" queried Margot gently. "He has been first in my thoughts for
nearly a year, Ruth, and you have known him for a few weeks. It is not
easy for me, either; but we must both realise that the Victor Druce of
our imagination never existed, but was a creation of our own brains.
This man--this adventurer--who has used us as his tool, must never
suspect that he has caused us pain; we must play our parts without
flinching, and let him see more and more clearly that we desire nothing
from him. It will be difficult, but there is nothing else for it, if we
are to keep our dignity. Ruth, you have plenty of will-power;--one can
see it in your face; you will not let this man deceive you again with
his plausible words?"

Ruth shook her head. The grey eyes shone hard and bright, then suddenly
brimmed with tears.

"Perhaps, after all, he is not worse than I am myself. Perhaps I
deserve this lesson