"I am rich," pleaded Jerce, eagerly. "I have a great name. I have heard that my name will be included in the list of New Year's honours. I shall be Sir Daniel Jerce, and you--"
"I shall be Mrs. Ackworth," interrupted Clarice, imperiously. "Not a word more, doctor; my mind is made up."
"And so is mine," said Jerce, with a snarl, his face livid, and his eyes hard. "You shall not marry this man."
"Who will prevent me?" asked Clarice, with superb disdain. "Who will prevent me from becoming Anthony's wife?"
"I will. You shall become my wife."
"If there was not another man in the world, I would decline that honour. And let me remind you that I am no school-girl to be frightened by stage thunder. How dare you?--how dare you?" Clarice stamped her foot, and clenched her hands. "Go away, and never come near me again."
Jerce remained silent for one moment. Then, without a word, he took up his hat and walked slowly to the door. Only when he had opened it, and stood with the handle in his hand, did he speak. "I shall go away," he said, with a steady look at the girl, "and I shall not return until you summon me."
When the door closed, Clarice sank back in her seat, overwhelmed with emotion. She had small sympathy for the doctor, since he had merely cried like a child for the moon, which he knew was entirely beyond his reach. But his last words impressed her with a sense of danger, and she wondered what he meant by this sudden obedience. Had he defied her, and remained to argue, she would have felt safer. Dr. Jerce--as she knew--was too strong a man to give in without a struggle, and that he should do so in this instance was ominous. In the words of the French proverb, he had but recoiled to spring the higher; yet Clarice could not see how he could harm her, or Anthony in any way. She was now her own mistress, free from supervision of any kind; Horran's death was no mystery, and although the murderer was still at large, he would certainly be caught sooner or later; Ferdy--here Clarice rose again, and her face grew white. What if Jerce could harm her by harming Ferdy? Jerce knew all about the boy and his fast life, and Jerce, if put to it, would not hesitate to sacrifice Ferdy, or anyone else, to achieve his ends. But the question was--what did Jerce know about Ferdy? While Clarice asked herself this, Ferdy himself entered, looking very sulky.
"I do call it a shame, Clarry," he said, flinging himself into a chair, and thrusting his hands into his pockets. "Why should Uncle Henry have treated me in this beastly way?"
"I think Uncle Henry has acted very wisely," said Clarice, harshly. The tone of her voice made Ferdy look up from his gloomy contemplation of the carpet, and he was struck by the whiteness of her face.