ou
shall."

He held her fast in front of him. She could feel the nervous strength of
his hands. It thrilled her through and through. She felt like a trapped
animal in his grasp. Her resistance began to waver.

"What are you going to do?" she asked.

"I am going to conquer you," he said grimly.

"You won't do it by violence," she returned quickly.

Her words seemed to pierce through a weak place in the iron armour in
which he had clad himself. Abruptly he set her free.

The suddenness of his action so surprised her that she tottered a
little. He made a swift move towards her; but in a second she had
recovered herself, and he drew back. She saw that his face was very
pale.

"Are you quite sure of that?" he asked.

She did not answer him. Shaking from head to foot, she stood facing him.
But words would not come.

After a desperate moment the tension was relaxed. He turned on his heel.

"Well, I have warned you," he said, and strode heavily away.

The moment she ceased to hear his footsteps, Nina sank down into a chair
and burst into tears.

VI

AN OFFER OF HELP

On the following morning Nina did not descend the stairs till she had
heard the car leave the house. The strain of the previous night's
interview had told upon her. She felt that she had not the resolution to
face such another.

The heat was intense. She remembered with regret that she had promised
to attend a charitable bazaar in the City that afternoon. Somehow she
could summon no relish either for that or the prospect of the theatre
with Archie at night. She wondered whither her husband had proposed to
take her, half wishing she had yielded a point to go.

She went to the bazaar, fully prepared to be bored. The first person she
saw, however, was Archie, and at once the atmosphere seemed to lighten.

He attached himself to her without a moment's delay.

"I say," he said, "send your car back! I'll take you home. I've got my
hansom here. It's much more exciting than a motor. We'll go and have
tea somewhere presently."

Nina hesitated for barely a second, then did as he required.

Archie's eyes were frankly tender. But, after all, why not? They had
known each other all their lives. She laughed at the momentary scruple
as they strolled through the bazaar together.

Archie bought her an immense fan--"to keep off the flies," as he
elegantly expressed it; and she made a few purchases herself as in duty
bound, and conversed with severa