him, darling," he said, knowing
this would sting, "and will stand any of his airs. Let him see you are
not. Give him the snub he deserves for deserting you, and fling his
dismissal in his face."

Cecilia Cricklander reddened and thrilled, too. Here, at all events, was
warmth. But she was not won yet. So she looked down, as if too full of
emotion to speak. She must gain time to consider what this would mean,
and, if worth while, how to lay her plans.

Should the scheme contain certain elevation for herself and certain
humiliation for John Derringham, then there was something worthy of
consideration in it, for undoubtedly Percy Hanbury-Green suited her the
better of the two, as far as just the men themselves were concerned. She
knew she would get desperately tired of having to live up to John
Derringham's standard, and a divorce in England would not be so easily
obtained or so free from scandal, as her original one in America had
been. But she must think well, and weigh the matter before plunging in.

Mr. Hanbury-Green saw her hesitation and instantly applied another
forceful note. He dwelt upon the political situation and grew eloquent
and magnetic, as when he was on the platform--for was he not playing for
stakes which, for the moment, he valued even more than some thousands of
votes?

It was no wonder Cecilia Cricklander's imagination grew inflamed. He let
her see that as his wife she would, for seven years or more, ride on the
crest of the wave of an ever-rising tide to undreamed-of heights of
excitement and intrigue. "With you at my side, darling," Mr. Green said
passionately, "I could be stimulated into being Dictator myself. The
days of kings and constitutions are over. The people want a strong
despotic leader who has first brought about their downfall. And they
will get him--in ME!"

This clinched the matter, and Cecilia, seeing visions of herself as
Madame Tallien, allowed herself to be drawn into his arms!

* * * * *

"Do you know, my beauty," the triumphant lover said as they floated back
to pick up Arabella upon the last steps, rather late in the afternoon,
"I had meant to get you somehow to-day. If you had refused to listen, I
intended to take you to the Lido and keep you there all night--the
gondolier and the people there are bribed--then you would have had no
choice but to marry me. Oh, you cannot balk me!"

And all Cecilia Cricklander replied was, with a girlish gigg