After which excitements Geoffrey and Ciccio went in to breakfast,
which Alvina had prepared.

"You have done it all, eh?" said Ciccio, glancing round.

"Yes. I've made breakfast for years, now," said Alvina.

"Not many more times here, eh?" he said, smiling significantly.

"I hope not," said Alvina.

Ciccio sat down almost like a husband--as if it were his right.

Geoffrey was very quiet this morning. He ate his breakfast, and rose
to go.

"I shall see you soon," he said, smiling sheepishly and bowing to
Alvina. Ciccio accompanied him to the street.

When Ciccio returned, Alvina was once more washing dishes.

"What time shall we go?" he said.

"We'll catch the one train. I must see the lawyer this morning."

"And what shall you say to him?"

"I shall tell him to sell everything--"

"And marry me?"

She started, and looked at him.

"You don't want to marry, do you?" she said.

"Yes, I do."

"Wouldn't you rather wait, and see--"

"What?" he said.

"See if there is any money."

He watched her steadily, and his brow darkened.

"Why?" he said.

She began to tremble.

"You'd like it better if there was money."

A slow, sinister smile came on his mouth. His eyes never smiled,
except to Geoffrey, when a flood of warm, laughing light sometimes
suffused them.

"You think I should!"

"Yes. It's true, isn't it? You would!"

He turned his eyes aside, and looked at her hands as she washed the
forks. They trembled slightly. Then he looked back at her eyes
again, that were watching him large and wistful and a little
accusing.

His impudent laugh came on his face.

"Yes," he said, "it is always better if there is money." He put his
hand on her, and she winced. "But I marry you for love, you know.
You know what love is--" And he put his arms round her, and laughed
down into her face.

She strained away.

"But you can have love without marriage," she said. "You know that."

"All right! All right! Give me love, eh? I want that."

She struggled against him.

"But not now," she said.

She saw the light in his eyes fix determinedly, and he nodded.

"Now!" he said. "Now!"

His yellow-tawny eyes looked down into hers, alien and overbearing.

"I can't," she struggled. "I can't now."

He laughed in a sinister way: yet with a certain warmheartedness.

"Come to that big room--" he said.

Her face flew fixed into opposition.

"I can't now, really," she said grimly.

His eyes looked down at