For that was the part Elaine had set herself to play for the sake of the man she loved. He had been beaten down to his knees by Larssen and Olive in the shipowner's office because he had had Elaine to protect. To save her from the mire of the divorce court he had had to give in and sign at Larssen's dictation.
Now she was determined to release him for free action. Whatever it might cost her in self-respect, she was going to make Olive believe that a divorce suit was the one thing she most ardently desired.
"I shall let the divorce suit go undefended," she had said, smiling happily.
Olive made a decisive effort to regain the whip-hand. "Divorce by collusion is out of the question!" she retorted sharply. "The King's Proctor sees to that. You don't imagine that it's sufficient merely to say you don't defend the suit? There must be evidence before the Court."
Elaine bowed her head.
"There is evidence," she said in a low voice.
"At Arles, Nîmes, or here?"
"At Nîmes."
"Then my husband lied to me! He swore to me on his word of honour that there was nothing between you!"
"John is very chivalrous."