"Larssen spoke glibly enough of disappearance, but the circumstances are very different now from what they were on the night of March 14th. Then, not a soul outside myself knew of my intention. You'd have claimed leave from the Courts to presume death, and it would certainly have been granted you. You would legally have been a widow, and I—as Clifford Matheson—should legally have been dead.... But now, both you and Larssen, and his secretary as well, know that Clifford Matheson is alive."
"Does anyone else know?"
"No one."
"Larssen will certainly keep the secret. So will his secretary. So shall I. That's no difficulty."
"You mean to apply to the courts for a certificate of my death, knowing that it will be fraudulent."
"That, or divorce against you and Miss Verney." The lines of obstinacy were hard-set around her mouth.
"Why are you so bitter against her?"
Olive remained contemptuously silent. Her reason, as she saw it, should be obvious enough. If Clifford was so dense as not to see it, she was certainly not going to enlighten him.
Even in face of what had gone before, Matheson was still hoping to soften his wife towards Elaine. He tried again. "Her life is ruined. Her work was her happiness as well as her livelihood. Now, both are snatched away from her. She is an orphan; she has no relatives in sympathy with her; her means are very limited; she has heavy expenses to face over the operation and the convalescence. She is under Hegelmann's care at Wiesbaden. This very morning he is operating on her. I must go back to Wiesbaden at once to hear how things are going."
"You can wire and find out."