Suddenly her face flushed scarlet. The hideous thing confronted her.
“You see,” he said coolly, “you can’t afford to face a jury, now.”
“I see,” she said. “You have two witnesses. Also, you have nothing to lose, have you!”
“Yes, I have.”
“What?” she asked.
“You!... I have you to lose. And I’m going to make the play of my life for you——”
His hideous features altered and a rush of startling colour painted his cheek-bones with two feverish smears:
“You listen to me, now, and hold your tongue! I know what you’re up to!” he said in a voice that broke with passion. “I’ve trailed you; I’ve followed you; I’ve kept tabs on you.”
“When you’re not playing up to young Annan you’re vamping Albert Smull. Yes, you are! Don’t stall! You go to his fancy apartment alone. You go to Annan’s house. You’ve got ’em both on your string. You’ve got others. Any man who meets you falls for you!——”
He flung his chewed, wet cigarette into the fireplace; he was trembling all over.