Tom was sorry for her, she looked so distressed, but he had not finished all he meant to say, and continued:
“Rex would not know how to deceive any one and cannot understand deception in another. As to matrimony, he never cared for girls, and Sandy’s will troubled him. Still he meant to do right, and if the girl mentioned in it liked him he would compel himself to like her. Excuse me, Irene, for speaking so plainly. You did seem to care for him, and he tried to care for you, and if he had never been undeceived he might have proposed to you as he has to Rena since he learned the truth.”
“Proposed to Rena!” Irene exclaimed springing up and going towards the door, saying as she did so, “Come out with me, Tom, I cannot breathe in this close room.”
They went out upon the piazza where the wind was blowing cool and where Irene could breathe more freely. Tom’s news had stunned her for a moment, but she would not let him see how she was hurt.
“Tell me about it,” she said. “Why should he propose to Rena when he knew she was engaged to you?”
Tom did not choose to enlighten her as to the real reason, and he answered: “That is rather queer, especially as he told me he was going to propose and that he loved her.”
“Was he in his right mind?” Irene asked, and Tom replied:
“He seemed to be.”
Then for a time there was silence while Irene sat with her hands clasped and her heart beating in her throat with throbs which told how hard her ambitious hopes were dying. She was a woman of quick perception, and after she could speak she said:
“Tom, Reginald Travers is a mercenary wretch. I know the conditions of the will, I saw the copy sent to Rena, and it is money he is after. He knew Rena would refuse him and that by her doing so he would get eighty thousand dollars. With me, if I had been the girl, he would have gotten the whole on the principle that what is the wife’s is the husband’s. I am fortunate to be rid of him.”