Anna the Adventuress

"If you interfere between us," the man said, "it will go hardly with

you. This lady is my wife, and I have a right to be here. I have the

right also to throw you out."

Ennison obeyed Anna's gesture, and was silent.

"You can say what you have to say before Mr. Ennison, if at all," Anna

declared calmly. "In any case, I decline to see you alone."

"Very well," the man answered. "I have come to tell you this. You are

my wife, and I am determined to claim you. We were properly married,

and the certificate is at my lawyer's. I am not a madman, or a pauper,

or even an unreasonable person. I know that you were disappointed

because I did not turn out to be the millionaire. Perhaps I deceived

you about it. However, that's over and done with. I'll make any

reasonable arrangement you like. I don't want to stop your singing.

You can live just about how you like. But you belong to me--and I want

you."

He paused for a moment, and then suddenly continued. His voice had

broken. He spoke in quick nervous sentences.

"You did your best to kill me," he said. "You might have given me a

chance, anyway. I'm not such a bad sort. You know--I worship you. I

have done from the first moment I saw you. I can't rest or work or

settle down to anything while things are like this between you and me.

I want you. I've got to have you, and by God I will."

He took a quick step forward. Anna held out her hand, and he paused.

There was something which chilled even him in the cold impassivity of

her features.

"Listen," she said. "I have heard these things from you before, and

you have had my answer. Understand once and for all that that answer

is final. I do not admit the truth of a word which you have said. I

will not be persecuted in this way by you."

"You do not deny that you are my wife," he asked hoarsely. "You

cannot! Oh, you cannot."

"I have denied it," she answered. "Why will you not be sensible? Go

back to your old life and your old friends, and forget all about Paris

and this absurd delusion of yours."

"Delusion!" he muttered, glaring at her. "Delusion!"

"You can call it what you like," she said. "In any case you will never

receive any different sort of answer from me. Stay where you are, Mr.

Ennison."

With a swift movement she gained the bell and rang it. The man's hand

flashed out, but immediately afterwards an oath and a cry of pain

broke from his lips. The pistol fell to the floor. Ennison kicked it

away with his foot.