nexpected overthrow of his secretly cherished hopes
was terrible. As he saw her rise on one elbow and meet his gaze with
one which revealed the astonishment and resentment of a wild creature
suddenly entrapped, he felt, or so he afterwards declared, as if the
viper which had hitherto clung cold and deathlike about his heart had
suddenly sprung to life and stung him. It was the most uncanny moment
of his life.

Aghast at the effect of this upon his own mind, he reeled from the room,
followed by the lawyer. As they passed down the hall they heard her voice
raised to a scream in uncontrollable shame and indignation. This was
followed by the snap of her key in the lock.

They had made a great mistake, or so the lawyer decided when they again
stood face to face in Mr. Ransom's room. That the latter made no
immediate answer was no proof that he did not coincide in the other's
opinion. Indeed it was only too evident that he did, for his first words,
when he had controlled himself sufficiently to speak, were these:

"I should have taken your advice. In future I will. To me she is
henceforth Anitra, and I shall treat her as my wife's sister. Watch if
I fail. Anitra! Anitra!" He reiterated the word as if he would fix it in
his mind as well as accustom his lips to it. Then he wheeled about and
faced Harper, whose eyes he doubtless felt on him. "Yet I am not so
thoroughly convinced as to feel absolute peace here," he admitted,
striking his breast with irrepressible passion. "My good sense tells me
I am a fool, but my heart whispers that the sweetness in her sleeping
face was the sweetness which won me to love Georgian Hazen. That gentle
sweetness! Did you note it?"

"Yes, I noted what you mention. But don't let that influence you too
much. The wildest heart has its tender moments, and her dreams may have
been pleasant ones."

Mr. Ransom remembered her unconscious whisper and felt stunned, silenced.
The lawyer gave no evidence of observing this, but remarked quite easily
and with evident sincerity:

"I am more readily affected by proof than you are. I am quite convinced
myself, that our wits have been wool-gathering. There was no mistaking
her look of outraged womanhood. It was not your wife who encountered your
look, but the deaf Anitra. Of course, you won't believe me. Yet I advise
you to do so. It would be too dreadful to find that this woman really is
your wife."

"_What?_"

"I know what I am saying. Nothing much worse