he looked up and said, desperately
calm:

"Very well, be it so. You've decided and there's nothing more to be
said. You've shamed me before this woman; and I never want to see you
again."

She turned and walked out of the room.

CHAPTER XIII

THE COURSE OF TRUE LOVE

As Muriel passed through the door Wargrave started to follow her; but
Violet cried peremptorily:

"Frank, stay here. Please realise that I come first now. Sit down."

He obeyed mechanically. She went on petulantly:

"These emotional scenes are rather exhausting. Do you mind calling the
hotel 'boy' and ordering a cocktail for me? You ought to have one
yourself. I suppose, like all men, you hate scenes. Then you should be
grateful to me for saving you from that spiteful little jungle cat."

Going to the verandah outside the room he called a hotel servant and
gave him the order, then returned to his chair and sat down wearily. He
stared at the floor in silence. He had sent the girl that he loved away
utterly humiliated; and he knew that, with her proud spirit, the shame
of his rejection of her would cut her to the heart. He cursed himself
for bringing this pain to her. It was all his fault. Not only had he had
no right to speak of love to her while he was bound to another woman,
but he ought never to have sought her society as he had done, never
striven to gain her friendship, for by doing so he had unconsciously won
her love. The harm was done long before he spoke to her of his feelings.
What a selfish brute he was to thus cause two women to suffer!

Presently he remembered that his moodiness, his silence, were
uncomplimentary, cruel, to Violet. She was right in saying that she came
first. Indeed she was the only one to be considered now. The other had
passed out of his life. It might be that they should meet again some day
in their restricted world, but while he could he must try to avoid her.
There was only Violet left.

He looked up to find his companion's eyes fixed on him with an
undefinable expression. He roused himself with an effort that was not
lost on the woman watching him.

"So you have told your husband," he said. "Well, now we must arrange
what we are going to do."

"We won't discuss our plans at this moment," replied Violet. "I'm not in
the mood for it." Then after a pause she added bitterly, "I must give
you time to recover from the shock of the abrupt ending to your little
jungle romance."

Before he could reply the