Then, as her eyes questioned him, he
turned suddenly to a mirror over the mantelpiece behind him and showed
her herself in her unveiled beauty.

"Lady Violet," he said, and his speech had a steely, cutting quality,
"you came into this room to bribe me to defend a man whom I believe to be
a criminal from the consequences of his crime. And when you found I was
not to be so easily bought as you imagined, you asked me if I were human.
I replied to you that I was human, and not above temptation. Since then
you have been trying--very hard--to find a means to tempt me. But--so
far--you have overlooked the most obvious means of all. You have told
me twice over that you will do anything in your power. Do you
mean--literally--that?"

He was addressing the face in the glass, and still his look was almost
brutally emotionless. It seemed to measure, to appraise. She met it for
a few seconds, and then in spite of herself she flinched.

"Will you tell me what you mean?" she said in a low voice.

He turned round to her again.

"Why did you come here yourself?" he said. "And at night?"

She was trembling.

"I had to come myself--as soon as I knew. I hoped to persuade you."

"You thought," he said mercilessly, "that, however I might treat others,
I could never resist you."

"I hoped--to persuade you," she said again.

"By--tempting--me?" he said slowly.

She gave a great start. "Mr. Field--"

He put out a quiet hand, and laid it upon her bare arm.

"Wait a moment, please! As I said before, I am not above
temptation--being human. You take a very personal interest in Burleigh
Wentworth, I think?"

She met his look with quivering eyelids.

"Yes," she said.

"Are you engaged to him?" he pursued.

She winced in spite of herself.

"No."

He raised his brows.

"You have refused him, then?"

Her face was burning.

"He hasn't proposed to me--yet," she said. "Perhaps he never will."

"I see." His manner was relentless, his hold compelling. "I will defend
Burleigh Wentworth," he said, "upon one condition."

"What is that?" she whispered.

"That you marry me," said Percival Field with his steady eyes upon her
face.

She was trembling from head to foot.

"You--you--have never seen me before to-day," she said.

"Yes, I have seen you," he said, "several times. I have known your face
and figure by heart for a very long while. I haven't had the time to seek
you out. It seems to have been decreed that you should do th