"Who was the man,--that fellow last night?" he said.
Why did he speak of that? Did he dare to imagine that she was building on another man's promises? that she was scheming, calculating--?
"No,--" she cried bitterly. "No,--not that!"
A great while after, it seemed to her, he spoke again. His voice was quiet.
"I think you are right," he said. "It's time to make an end of this. It's too dangerous."
"Yes," she said faintly. That at least was true....
He went on, rather quickly. She was not looking at him. She could not.
"Listen. To-morrow you'll have a wire from London. I'll see to it. I'm afraid we can't make it a cable; there isn't time. It will have to be from my lawyers, saying you are wanted in America on important business. My mother doesn't understand business. Anyhow, you'll be excited, and you needn't know what it means; so you can't explain."
"Yes," she said, in the same low voice. "To-morrow."
"We'll have to see about boats and things when we get up to town. And, of course, we'll have to make up a story. But once you're out of this country----"
Yes, once she was out of this country it would all be simple. She had only to disappear.
"What will you say of me?" she asked, with a sad quaintness. "Will you tell them that I am dead?"
"Oh, God knows!" he said. "It will take a lot of planning. You've forgotten the--other lady."
Yes, that was his difficulty. Although she would be gone there would still be a bar between him and Julia. That was the tragedy.
"I'll be out when the wire comes, probably," he said. It seemed to amuse him to settle the details; he seemed to be flinging his seriousness aside. "Rackham is coming over to try a horse. For form's sake you'll have to send for me immediately. I'll be somewhere down in the schooling pastures."
The nearness of exile took away her breath. But the impossible situation could only have ended so. That had been their bargain. At least she had not failed him, she had done all that he asked of her, drinking the bitter cup of her own dishonesty to the dregs. A rush of memory carried her back to that first night of his return, so distant, and yet such a little while ago. She held out her hand to him, humbly, uncertainly--
"Good night," she said. "You--you have been good to me."