"A man dares anything, when he loves a woman—as for what I mean, I'll soon explain,—it's all I ask," he answered in a husky voice, now seizing both her wrists in a vice-like grip, and devouring her with his burning eyes. "Nancy, my love, I've adored you, from the moment we first met; but Auntie Wolfe's presence, and your own strange cold temperament,—held me in a state of frozen bondage. At first, I swear to you, I strove hard to strangle, and hide my feelings,—because Auntie Wolfe, my mother's friend, believes in me; but it was useless. After all, why should I struggle against my good angel? and you are cold and undemonstrative, as an angel should be—nevertheless, you do care for me."
"No, no, no," protested Nancy breathlessly.—"Never—never—in the way you mean—I think you must be mad! Let go my hands."
"But yes, yes, yes," he reiterated. "To what other fellow, have you ever shown such preference? With me, you are always ready to sing, or dance, or sketch, or walk. I have watched like a lynx,—for I am as jealous as the devil,—and you have favoured none! As for Tony Hillside and Lord Lanark, bah!! You and I have tastes in common, we shall spend our lives together; we will go to Greece, to the Far East, to Japan,—and I will be your humble, and devoted slave."
"Will you release my hands?" she demanded furiously.
"Presently, darling,—when I have said my say! Listen. Auntie Wolfe will forgive me in time; my wife will divorce me,—it will be merely a question of money."
Nancy endeavoured to interrupt, but it was useless; she was overpowered by a fiery torrent of words, and an emotion, ten times stronger than her own.
"Sometimes you drove me mad," he went on, "I felt inclined to kill you, and myself,—now fate has helped me!"
"I thought you were an honourable man," she broke in, "so this delay about the car deserting us, was all planned."
"No! I swear to you—I'll take my oath it was not," relinquishing her hands at last; "for once, good fortune has befriended me, and thrown me a priceless chance. I should like to pension that silly ass of a chauffeur; for thanks to him, you are irretrievably compromised! Yes!" in reply to Nancy's gesture of recoil, "all the world will know, that you and I, have spent the night here together. As Miss Travers, you can never show your face in society; but later, as Lady Villars, you will be welcomed with open arms. The wire I sent, was to my man Antonio, telling him to bring my car and luggage here; I expect him about eleven, possibly earlier; as soon as he arrives, we will start for Folkestone, catch the early boat, and be in Paris in four hours!"
"Surely you do not suppose, that I will go with you," demanded Nancy fiercely.