ing never to think of her except to say, 'I hate you, Mona, because
you are rich and heartless, and not bigger than a pinch of snuff.'
That was the kind way you used to speak of her even when you were first
married to her--contemptuously always in your heart, no matter what you
said out loud. And the end showed it--the end showed it; you deserted
her."

He was so fascinated by the picture she made of passion and incensed
declamation that he did not attempt to open the letter, and he wondered
why there was such a difference between the effect of her temper on
him now and the effect of it those long years ago. He had no feeling of
uneasiness in her presence now, no sense of irritation. In spite of her
tirade, he had a feeling that it didn't matter, that she must bluster in
her tiny teacup if she wanted to do so.

"Open the letter at once," she insisted. "If you don't, I will." She
made as though to take the letter from him, but with a sudden twist he
tore open the envelope. The bank-notes fell to the floor as he took out
the sheet inside. Wondering, he stooped to pick them up.

"Four thousand pounds!" he exclaimed, examining them. "What does it
mean?"

"Read," she commanded.

He devoured the letter. His eyes swam; then there rushed into them the
flame which always made them illumine his mediaeval face like the light
from "the burning bush." He did not question or doubt, because he saw
what he wished to see, which is the way of man. It all looked perfectly
natural and convincing to him.

"Mona--Mona--heaven above and all the gods of hell and Hellas, what a
fool, what a fool I've been!" he exclaimed. "Mona--Mona, can you forgive
your idiot husband? I didn't read this letter because I thought it was
going to slash me on the raw--on the raw flesh of my own lacerating. I
simply couldn't bear to read what your brother said was in the letter.
Yet I couldn't destroy it, either. It was you. I had to keep it. Mona,
am I too big a fool to be your husband?"

He held out his arms with a passionate exclamation. "I asked you to kiss
me yesterday, and you wouldn't," she protested. "I tried to make you
love me yesterday, and you wouldn't. When a woman gets a rebuff like
that, when--"

She could not bear it any longer. With a cry of joy she was in his arms.

After a moment he said, "The best of all was, that you--you vixen, you
bet on that Derby and won, and--"

"With your money, remember, Shiel."

"With my money!" he cried e