"You know him?"
"No; but he was once pointed out to me at the Academy, the year the portrait of his little boy was exhibited there. I could feel at once the tremendous strength of will behind the man. Something beyond the human. I was fascinated and repelled at the one time. So that is the man who——"
"Who wants to drag you into a divorce court."
Elaine sat up rigid with shock. "A divorce court! How—why? What possible——?"
"Larssen doesn't stick at possibilities."
"I realise that, but——"
"I'll not let him drag you into court. Be quite sure in your mind of that. But listen, Elaine!" Her name came from him unconsciously. "Listen, I want you to know every detail. It's your right."
Elaine flushed. Her voice held a delicate softness as she answered: "I'll listen without interruption."
Then Rivière told her of what had happened since the crucial night of March 14th, omitting nothing that she ought to know, sparing nothing of himself. She listened quietly to his account of the interview at the Rue Laffitte when he had, as he thought, made the final settlement with Larssen; and to the recital of what had occurred from the moment of his seeing the notice in the Europe Chronicle of the coming flotation of Hudson Bay Transport, Ltd.
He did not tell her of what he had seen through the lighted window of Thornton Chase, but passed on to the interview at Larssen's office.