ic part of it," said Larpent.

She brushed away her tears and tried to smile. "I wonder you bothered to
tell me," she said.

His hand closed almost unconsciously upon her arm. "I had to tell you,"
he said. "It's a thing you ought to know." He hesitated a moment, then
concluded with obvious effort. "And I wanted to offer you my help."

"Thank you," whispered Toby. "You--you--that's very--generous of you."
She gulped again, and recovered herself. "What do you want to do about
it?" she said.

"Do? Well, what can I do?" He seemed momentarily disconcerted by the
question.

Toby became brisk and business-like. "Well, you don't want to retire and
live in a cottage with me, do you? We shouldn't either of us like that,
should we?"

"There's no question of that now," said Larpent quietly. "Your home is
with your husband, not with me."

Toby flinched a little. "My home isn't anywhere then," she said. "When I
left him, it was--for good."

"Why did you leave him?" said Larpent.

Toby's lips set in a firm line, and she made no answer.

Larpent waited a few moments; then: "It's no matter for my interference,"
he said. "But it seems to me you've made a mistake in one particular. You
don't realize why he married you."

Toby made a small passionate movement of protest. "He ought not to have
done it," she said, in a low voice. "I ought not to have let him. I
thought I could play the part. I know now I can't. And--he knows it too."

"I think you'll have to play the part," Larpent said.

"No!" She spoke with vehemence. "It's quite impossible. He has been far
too good--far too generous. But it shan't go on. He's got to set me free.
If he doesn't--" she stopped abruptly.

"Well? If he doesn't?" Larpent's voice was unwontedly gentle, and there
was compassion in his look.

Toby's eyes avoided his. "I'll find--a way for myself," she said almost
inarticulately.

Larpent's fingers tightened again upon the thin young arm. "It's no good
fighting Fate," he said. "Why has it become impossible? Just because he
knows all about you? Do you suppose that--or anything else--is going to
make any difference at this stage? Do you imagine he would let you
go--for that?"

Toby's arm strained against him. "He'll have to," she declared
stubbornly. "He doesn't know all about me either---any more than you do.
And--and--and--he's never going to know."

Her voice shook stormily. She glanced about her desperately as if in
search of refuge. The c