--this is unbelievable!" cried Peter. "You never saw me
before to-day. Why, you're a nice girl. You're not the kind of girl
who runs away with a man at first sight. You're not in love with me at
all. Not at all. Miss Borria----"

A flame of hot suspicion shot athwart Peter's mind. He seized her
hands, glared into her eyes, dragged her to her feet.

"See here!" he clamored. "Tell me what you really want. What's your
game, eh? You're a wise little bird, you are. I may look stupid, I
may not see all the way through this talk you've been giving me.
You're holding back. What is it? Come on! Out with it!"

She was not disturbed in the least at his harshness, nor did she
seemingly disapprove of the rough way he handled her.

"I am married," she said simply.

CHAPTER IV

To Peter this revelation was like the addition of a single grain to a
bucket brimming with sand.

"Well, what of it?" he barked.

"To a man who is fat and untidy, a man old enough to be my father, who
treats me as if I were a thief, or a dog. I loathe him. And he
detests me. You see"--she smiled ironically--"we are not very happy.
I ran away from him a month ago, from Hong Kong. I ran as far as
Singaraja, and now I have to go back because I have not the courage to
stay away. A stronger will would make me give him up. Would make me
go away, and stay. And I grabbed at you."

"As a drowning man would grab at a straw."

"Not at all! Perhaps, let us say, I had pictured such a man as you.
And then you came. He will beat me when I return."

"No!"

"Yes!" She pressed down the gauzy stuff which came up almost to her
throat in the form of a high "V." And across the rounded white curve
of her chest were four angry red stripes, the marks of a whip.

He shuddered. "This is terrible."

"Will you help me--now?"

"What can I do? What can I do?" He was striving to adjust himself to
this exceedingly difficult situation. "But I don't understand how you
can place all this confidence in me."

"Because when I saw you I knew you were a man who stopped at nothing."

"But why--why does he beat you? It--it's incomprehensible!"

He stared at the beautiful face, the long, white appealing face, and
the deep, dark eyes with their fringe of long lashes. If ever a girl
was meant to be loved and protected it was this one.

"I know I am asking a great deal, far more than I have any right, and
not taking you into consideration at all.