"The only thing that is necessary," Mrs. Sinclair replied, "is that I actually am Sir Geoffrey Holt's wife. I married him years ago, when I was too young to realise all that marriage means, especially marriage to a man many years older than oneself. And—it didn't answer. That is really all." She had no intention of telling Melville very much about herself, and, of course, he could not cross-examine her. "He had not come into the title then," she went on, "and indeed there was no reason for supposing he ever would, for his brother was quite young enough to have married and had sons. Perhaps——" She paused, and Melville took advantage of the pause to give expression to the thought that was uppermost in his mind.
"I wonder that his marriage has been so completely forgotten. I never heard of it, and I'm quite sure my brother never has, yet he has been like a son to Sir Geoffrey, and knows a lot about his affairs."
Mrs. Sinclair flushed a little.
"Sir Geoffrey is a very proud man. He always was; indeed, that had a great deal to do with our mutual incompatibility, and proud men are apt to hold their tongues about their failures. Oh, yes!" she said, laughing, though there was no mirth in her laughter, "it was a dismal failure, and so we agreed to separate and never trouble each other again."
"And you never have?" said Melville.
"We never have."
"Sir Geoffrey is a very rich man," Melville remarked, following the line of his own thoughts.
"I believe he is," said Mrs. Sinclair indifferently. "All the money in the world doesn't make some things worth while."
"But I suppose he is very generous to you?"
"I wouldn't touch a penny of his money," said Mrs. Sinclair vehemently.