"I believed you," he returned. "But another woman beat you."
She looked away from him.
"Did she?" she replied evenly.
There was silence for a moment.
"When Copplesthone announthed his engagement to Mith Manderthon," the financier went on, "I stood ruined. I admit it. I stood ruined by your defeat. That ith the thecret that you muth keep. I was sure that you had no other means of paying me back. Nothing could save me but a miraculouth removal of the obstacle."
"The obstacle was removed," she said, in the same even tone.
He shuddered.
"It wath. The obstacle that stood between you and Copplesthone, and me and ruination, wath removed. It was a ghastly thing, and we are very thorry. But let uth be candid. It wath to our advantage."
"Yes," she agreed slowly—"it was to our advantage."
"There must not be another obstacle," he said.