第54章 IN THE TOILS(2)

"Did you expect me?" she asked.

"Yes!" he answered, "I thought that you would come."Her foot, long and slender, beat impatiently upon the ground. She looked up at him once, but immediately withdrew her eyes.

"Why did you bring me here?" she asked in a low tone.

"My dear Lady Ruth!" he protested.

"If you want to play at being friends," she said, "for heaven's sake call me Ruth. You found it easy enough once.""You are very kind," he answered. "Ruth, by all means.""Now will you answer my question?" she said. "Do you mean--to help us?""Us--no!" he answered; "you--perhaps yes!" he added.

Then she looked at him, and found herself puzzled by the perfect impassivity of his features. Surely he would drop the mask now. He had insisted upon her coming!

"Perhaps?" she repeated. "What then--are the conditions?"He bent over towards her. Curiously enough, there was, mingled with many other sensations, a certain sense of triumph in the thought, it was almost a hope, that at last he was going to betray himself, that he was going to admit tacitly, or by imputation, that her power over him was not wholly dead. It was a terrible situation--in her heart she felt so, but it had its compensations.

Wingrave had been her constant attendant for months. He had seen her surrounded by men, all anxious to secure a smile from her; he had seen her play the great lady in her own house, and she played it very well. She knew that she was a past mistress in the arts which fascinate his sex, she understood the quiet speeches, the moods, every trick of the gamester in emotions, from the fluttering of eyelids to the unchaining of the passions.

And he had loved her. Underneath it all, he must love her now. She was determined that he should tell her so. It was genuine excitement which throbbed in her pulses, a genuine color which burned in her cheeks.

"The conditions?" he repeated. "You believe, then, that I mean to make conditions?"She raised her eyes to his, eloquent eyes she knew, and looked at him. The mask was still there--but he had moved a little nearer to her.

"I do not know," she said softly. "You must tell me."There was a moment's silence. She had scarcely given herself credit for such capacity for emotion. He was on his feet. Surely the mask must go now! And then--she felt that it must be a nightmare. It was incredible! He had struck a match and was calmly lighting a cigarette.

"One," he said coolly, "is that Mademoiselle Violet employs no more amateur assassins to make clumsy attempts upon my life."She sat in her place rigid--half frozen with a cold, numbing fear. He had sent for her, then, only to mock her. She had failed! They were not even to have the money! Speech was quite impossible. Then he continued.

"I will take your assent for granted," he said. "Do you know how much you require to free yourself?""About eight thousand pounds!" she answered mechanically.

He sat down and wrote a check, which he laid before her.

"You will have to endorse that," he remarked in a matter-of-fact tone. "Your name at the back will do instead of a receipt."She sprang to her feet.

"Keep your money, " she cried. "I will not touch it. Please open the door for me! I am going.""By all means--if you wish it," he answered undisturbed. "At the same time, Iam curious to know why you came here at all if you did not intend to accept it."She faced him, hot and angry.

"I did intend to accept it," she declared. "It is that or ruin. But you are too cruel! You make it--impossible.""You surprise me," he answered. "I suppose you know best.""For heaven's sake tell me," she cried passionately, "what has come to you, what manner of a man are you? You loved me once! Now, even, after all these years, you cannot deny it. You have gone out of your way to be with me, to be my companion wherever we are. People are beginning to smile when they see us together. I don't mind. I--for God's sake tell me, Wingrave! Why do you do it?

Why do you lend me this money? What can I do for you? What do you want me to be? Are you as cold as a stone? Have you no heart--no heart even for friendship!""I would not seek," he answered, "to buy--your friendship with a check!""But it is yours already," she cried, holding out her hands. "Give me a little kindness, Wingrave! You make me feel and seem a perfect idiot. Why, I'd rather you asked me anything that treated me like this.""I was under the impression," Wingrave remarked, "that I was behaving rather well. I wonder what would really satisfy you!""To have you behave as you are doing, and want to behave differently," she cried. "You are magnificent--but it is because you are indifferent. Will you kiss me, Wingrave?""With pleasure!" he answered.

She drew away from him quickly.

"Is it--another woman?" she asked. "The Marchioness?"Her eagerness was almost painful. He did not answer her at once. She caught hold of his wrist and drew him towards her. Her eyes searched his face.

"The Marchioness," he said, "is a very beautiful woman. She does not, however, affect the situation as between you and me.""If she dared!" Lady Ruth murmured. "Wingrave, won't you try and be friends with me?""I will try--certainly," he answered. "You would be surprised, however, if you could realize the effect of a long period of enforced seclusion upon a man of my--""Don't!" she shrieked; "stop!"

"My temperament, I was about to say," he concluded. "There was a time when Iam afraid I might have been tempted, under such circumstances as these, to forget that you were no longer free, to forget everything that except we were alone, and that you--are as beautiful as ever you were!""Yes!" she murmured, moving imperceptibly a little nearer towards him.

He picked up the check and gave it to her.

"I am no actor," he said, looking at her steadily. "At present, I make no conditions. But--"She leaned towards him. He took her face between his hands and kissed her on the lips.

"I may make them later," he said. "I reserve my right."She looked at him for a moment, and dropped her veil.

"Please take me down to my carriage," she asked.