And now she was coming. He flung the half-smoked cigar away and waited as the dark figure approached him in the night.
“You are early to-night, Joan.” He endeavoured to put softness and tenderness into his voice.
“I am here at the time I appointed.”
“To give me my answer—yes, but we won’t discuss that now. I want to speak to you about something else.”
“Something other than money?”
“Yes, do you think I always put money first?”
“I had thought so, Mr. Slotman.”
“You do me a wrong—a great wrong. There is something that I put far ahead of money, of gold. It is you—Joan, listen! you must listen!” He had gripped her arm and held tightly, and as before she did not struggle nor try to win free of him.
“You shall listen to me. I have told you before many times that I love you.”
He tried to drag her closer to him. And now she wrenched herself free.