“Safe!” he laughs angrily, “rather not. I suppose they’ll have the bloodhounds on me before an hour’s out. No, Victoire, I must cut it.”
“And what’s to become of me?” she asks, somewhat aghast. “You’ll leave me some money, Trackem, and let me know where you are going to?”
“Money! I’ve deuced little left of that now; and as for telling you where I’m going to, I’m not such a fool. Why, you’d blurt it out any moment,” and Mr. Trackem laughs sneeringly.
“But what’s to become of me?” she again inquires.
“Damned if I know!” he replies impatiently. “I don’t suppose you’ll have much trouble in making a living along with some one else, same way as you’ve made it here. You don’t suppose I can saddle myself with you now, and drag you about wherever I go? What a fool you are, Victoire!”
“Then you are going to throw me up?” she asks in a low voice.
“Haven’t I told you I can’t drag you about all over the place?” he answers savagely.
“But you’ll leave me a little money, won’t you?” she says, with a half sob. “I haven’t got a farthing, Trackem.”
“Then you must go and make it, my girl,” he replies coarsely. “You’ll have no difficulty in doing that, and I’ve no money to give you. You know perfectly well that I’ve nigh ruined myself with lending all the money that I did to that Lord Westray, and now he’s dead I can’t get it back. Curse him! I wish I’d never seen him, or had anything to do with that Mrs. de Lara and her daughter. They’ve beat us fair and square, Victoire, even though the daughter be dead. Fair and square.”
“I hate them both,” she bursts out with unreasoning fury. “They are the cause of my misery now. Oh, Trackem! don’t forsake me. I might have had a comfortable, respectable home with Charles, but I threw it up to be with you. What did I do it for but because I loved you? I’m a bad one, no doubt; but at least I loved you, and do love you still. Don’t forsake me! I’ll stop here and put the trackers off the scent, and do all I know how to help you, only promise me you’ll let me know where you are by-and-by, and let me join you again.”