"
"Then," he cried violently, "I'll put you in the Home for Inebriates!"
She laughed mockingly. "You'll never do anything of the sort. And I
shouldn't care if you did. I should escape."
"Have you no pride left?"
"It is as dead as everything else but this miserable shell. As dead
as all that was great in Langdon Masters. Won't you let me die in my
own way?"
"I will not."
She sighed and moved her head restlessly on the pillow. "You mean to
do what is right, I suppose. But you are cruel, cruel. You condemn me
to live in torment."
"I shall give you more for a while than I did before. I was too
abrupt. I wouldn't face the whole truth, I suppose."
"I'll kill myself."
"I have no fear of that. You are as superstitious as all religious
women--although much good your religion seems to do you. And you have
the same twisted logic as all women, clever as you are. You would
drink yourself to death if I would let you, but you'd never commit
the overt act. If you are relying on your jewels to bribe the
servants with, you will not find them. They are in the safe at the
Club. And I shall discontinue your allowance."
"Very well. Please go. I should like to take my bath."
He was obliged to attend an important consultation an hour later,
but he did not lock the doors as he had threatened.
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