at I was looking for at Marlbury and Morchester and
did not find--was evidence of a marriage having taken place in June,
nineteen eighteen, between Hugh Alston and Joan Meredyth. But there's no
such evidence, none! Ah, that touches you a bit, don't it? Now you begin
to understand why I ain't taken in by your fine dignity!"

"You--you have been looking for--for evidence of a marriage--my marriage
with--what do you mean?"

Her face was flushed, her eyes brilliant with anger.

"I mean that I am not a fool, though I was for a time. You took me in--I
am not blaming you"--he paused--"not blaming you. You were only a girl,
straight out of school. You didn't understand things, and the man--"

"What--do--you--mean?" she whispered.

"You left Miss Skinner's, said you were going to Australia, didn't you?
But you didn't go. Oh no, you didn't go! You know best where you went,
but there's no proof of any marriage at Marlbury or Morchester. Now--now
do you begin to understand?"

She did understand, a sense of horror came to her, horror and shame that
this man should dare--dare to think evil of her! She felt that she
wanted to strike him. She saw him as through a mist--his hateful face,
the face she wanted to strike with all her might, and yet she was
conscious of an even greater anger, a very passion of hate and
resentment against another man than this, against the man who had
subjected her to these insults, this infamy. She gripped her hands hard.

"You--you will leave this house. If you ever dare to return I will have
you flung out--you hear me? Go, and if you ever dare--"

"No, no you don't!" he said. "Wait a moment. You can't take me in now!"
He laughed in her face. "If I go I'll go all right, but you'll never
hear the end of it. You're someone down here, aren't you? I have heard
about you. You're a Meredyth, and the Meredyths used to hold their
heads pretty high about here. But if you aren't careful I'll get
talking, and if I talk I'll make this place too hot to hold you. You
know what I mean. I hate threatening you, Joan, only you force me to do
it." His voice altered. "I hate threatening, and you know why. It is
because I love you, and I am willing to marry you--in spite of
everything, you understand? In spite of everything!"

Joan threw out her hand and grasped at the edge of the table.

"My friend out there--am I to call for him? Are you driving me to do
that? Shall I call him now?"

"If you like," Slotman said. "