ne rather too far," she whispered.

"I've a right. Answer. Was there an arrangement? Did you expect him here
to-night while I struggled in town?"

The discordant jangling appeared to enter his consciousness. He sprang
back, listening.

"That might--By gad, if it were!"

"It's the telephone," she said, "in the library."

"Why isn't it answered? Oh, yes. You might have kept Thompson at least.
Let it ring. I shan't go down."

"A doctor!" she said scornfully.

She arose with an effort. The lace of the mauve dressing-gown
exaggerated the difficulty of her breathing. His glance, which took all
this in, was not wholly without contrition.

"Answer it," she said. "I shan't fly from the house to any man's arms
while you are in the library."

He half stretched out his hand to her, but the appealing motion resolved
itself into a gesture of despair. He walked out and descended to the
library.

After a moment the discordant bell was silent. The murmur of his voice,
moment by moment interrupted, arose through the quiet house to this
single lighted chamber.

She stood for a time by the door, listening. Once or twice she placed
her hand above her heart. At last she turned back and gazed through the
narrow door to the next room where a yellow ribbon of illumination from
the reading light draped itself across her bed. Her face set in the
cruel distortion that precedes tears, but at the sound of her husband's
returning footsteps it resumed a semblance of control. No tears fell.

"Well?" she asked.

His face was haggard, confessing greater suspense than before.

"The Hansons' butler," he said. "I--I'm afraid the old lady's off this
time. Redding had told him to get me. They sent the chauffeur some time
ago with a fast car. Man said he ought to be here."

He paused, searching her face in an agony of indecision.

"Well?" she repeated.

"Bella," he went on. "Won't you tell me? Won't you promise? That old
woman--for years she's depended on me. I could do more for her than
Redding. I might help her--a little--"

"Of course you'll go," she said.

He spread his arms.

"How can I go, knowing nothing, imagining everything. Tell me. Was there
an arrangement with that beast? Bella, he'd been drinking. He's unfit--"

She raised her hand.

"You only make matters worse. John, you've done your best to make me
despise you, to urge me to Freddy Treving. For, understand, I do care
for him--a great deal. There's been nothing reall