Anna the Adventuress

"Good God!" he exclaimed, looking at her curiously. "Is this true,

Annabel? Is he dead?"

She nodded.

"I shot him. I saw the blood come as he rolled over. I tore the

marriage certificate from his pocket and burnt it. And then I came

here."

"You came--here!" he repeated, vaguely.

"Nigel, Nigel," she cried. "Don't you understand? It is I whom you

cared for in Paris, not Anna. She is a stranger to you. You cannot

care for her. Think of those days in Paris. Do you remember when we

went right away, Nigel, and forgot everything? We went down the river

past Veraz, and the larks were singing all over those deep brown

fields, and the river further on wound its way like a coil of silver

across the rich meadowland, and along the hillside vineyards. Oh, the

scent of the flowers that day, the delicious quiet, the swallows that

dived before us in the river. Nigel! You have not forgotten. It was

the first day you kissed me, under the willows, coming into Veraz.

Nigel, you have not forgotten!"

"No," he said, with a little bitter smile. "I have never forgotten."

She suddenly caught hold of his shoulders and drew him down towards

her.

"Nigel, don't you understand. I must leave England to-night. I must go

somewhere into hiding, a long, long way off. I killed him, Nigel. They

will say that it was murder. But if only you will come I do not care."

He shook her hands off almost roughly. He stood away from her. She

listened with dumb fear in her eyes.

"Listen, Annabel," he said hoarsely. "We played at love-making in

Paris. It was very pretty and very dainty while it lasted, but we

played it with our eyes open, and we perfectly understood the

game--both of us. Other things came. We went our ways. There was no

broken faith--not even any question of anything of the sort. I met you

here as Lady Ferringhall. We have played at a little mild love-making

again. It has been only the sort of nonsense which passes lightly

enough between half the men and women in London. You shall know the

truth. I do not love you. I have never loved you. I call myself a man

of the world, a man of many experiences, but I never knew what love

meant--until I met your sister."

"You love--Anna?" she exclaimed.

"I do," he answered. "I always shall. Now if you are ready to go with

me, I too am ready. We will go to Ostend by the early morning boat and

choose a hiding place from there. I will marry you when Sir John gets

his divorce, and I will do all I can to keep you out of harm. But you

had better know the truth to start with. I will do all this not

because I love you, but--because you are Anna's sister."