Anna the Adventuress

"My sister!" Annabel faltered.

He trembled violently. He seemed to be labouring under some great

excitement.

"I am a fool," he said. "All these days I have taken her for you. I

have pleaded with her--no wonder that I have pleaded with her in vain.

And all this time perhaps you have been waiting, expecting to hear

from me. Is it so, Annabel?"

"I did not know," she faltered, "anything about you. Why should I?"

"At last," he murmured, "at last I have found you. I must not let you

go again. Do you know, Annabel, that you are my wife."

"No," she moaned, "not that. I thought--the papers said----"

"You thought that I was dead," he interrupted. "You pushed the wheel

from my hand. You jumped, and I think that you left me. Yet you knew

that I was not dead. You came to see me in the hospital. You must have

repented a little, or you would not have done that."

"I did not come," she faltered. "It was my sister Anna. I had left

Paris."

He passed his hand wearily over his forehead.

"That is where I got confused," he said. "I opened my eyes, and she

was bending over my bedside. Then, I thought, she has repented, all

will be well. So I made haste and recovered. I came to London to look

for you, and somehow the figure I saw in my dreams had got mixed up

with you. Your sister! Great God, how like she is to what you were!"

Annabel looked around her nervously.

"These are her rooms," she said. "Soon she will return."

"The sooner the better," he answered. "I must explain to her. Annabel,

I cannot believe it. I have found you."

His eyes were burning. He advanced a step towards her. She held out

both her hands.

"No, no," she cried. "You frighten me!"

He smiled at her indulgently.

"But I am your husband," he said. "You have forgotten. I am your

husband, though as yet your hand has scarcely lain in mine."

"It was a mistake," she faltered. "You told me that your name was

Meysey Hill. I thought that you were he."

His face darkened.

"I did it for love of you," he said. "I lied, as I would have

committed a murder, or done any evil deed sooner than lose you. What

does it matter? I am not a pauper, Annabel. I can keep you. You shall

have a house out at Balham or Sydenham, and two servants. You shall

have the spending of every penny of my money. Annabel, tell me that

you did not wish me dead. Tell me that you are not sorry to see me

again."

Her passion conquered for a moment her fear.