en you don't even love him? You know you never
would. And he's got nothing of his own to speak of, and never will have
more when you have estranged him from the only relative he has who can
help him."

"But I needn't estrange him from anybody. Nothing need ever be known."

"Let's turn back," said Hilary. "We have gone far enough. And now,
Hermia, I'll tell you straight. If you don't give Percy to understand
this very morning that you have changed your mind, and will on no
account consent to marry him, I shall put him in possession of all the
facts concerning ourselves."

"You will?" she said. "You will do that?"

She had stopped short, and with eyes burning from her pale face, and
breast heaving, she stood defiant, facing him, with a very blast of hate
and fury in her look.

"Certainly I will," he returned sternly, and absolutely undaunted. "I
forbid this thing--forbid it utterly."

"He won't believe you," she jeered. "Even if he does, he won't care, he
loves me too well. It'll make no difference to him."

"I think it will though. In fact I'm sure it will. There was young
Spence. He loved you just as well, but it made a good deal of
difference to him."

"Very well, Hilary. Play your hand by all means. Throw your best card,
but I can trump it. I have a better hand than you. I hold all the
honours, and you shan't even take the odd trick."

"Explain," he said shortly, with, however, more than an inkling as to
her meaning.

"Well, I will then. You give me away. I give you away. See?"

"Oh, perfectly. But it'll make no difference. You can't injure me, and
I wouldn't for the world injure you--but--I won't allow this scandalous
affair to go any further, no, not at any cost!"

"I can't injure you, can't I?" she said, dropping out her words slowly,
a sneer of deadly malice spreading over her face. "No? What will the
Bayfields say when they hear what you and I have been to each other?"

With infinite self-control, he commanded his features, trusting they did
not betray any inkling of the direful sinking of heart with which he
grasped the import of her words. He was not altogether taken by
surprise, for he had taken such a possibility into account--as a
possibility, not a probability.

"That can't be helped. At any cost I told you I should prevent this.
At any cost mind, and at a far greater loss to myself than even that
would be. And--I will."

"Ha-ha-ha!" and the jeering laughter, sh