“You are my property. You are bound to me. I do not intend that you shall ever forget that, Yvonne. I don't believe you really love me, but that is not the point. Other women have not loved their husbands, and yet--yet they have been true and loyal to them.” “You amaze me!” she cried, watching his eyes with acute wonder in her own. “Suppose that I should refuse to abide by your--what shall I call it?” “Decision is the word,” he supplied grimly. “Well, what then?” “You will abide by it, that's all. I am leaving you behind without the slightest fear for the future. This is your home. You will not abandon it.” “Have I said that I would?” “No.” She drew herself up. “Well, I shall now tell you what I intend to do, and have intended to do ever since I discovered that I could think for myself and not for Matilde. I intend to stay here until you turn me out as unworthy. I love you, James. You may leave me here feeling very sure of that. I shall go on caring for you all the rest of my life. I am not telling you this in the hope that you will say that you have a spark of love in your soul for me. I don't want you to say it now, James. But you will say it to me one day, and I will be justified in my own heart.” “I _have_ loved you. There was never in this world anything like the love I had for you. I know it now. It was not Matilde I loved when I held you in my arms. I know it now. I loved _you_; I loved your body, your soul------” “Enough!” she cried out sharply. “I was playing at love then. Now I love in earnest. You've never known love such as I can really give. I know you well, too. You love nobly, and without end. Of late I have come to believe that Matilde could have won out against your folly if she had been stronger, less conscious of the pain she felt. If she had stood her ground, here, against you, you would have been conquered. But she did not have the strength to stand and fight as I would have fought. To-day I love my sister none the less, but I no longer fight to avenge her wrongs. I am here to fight for myself. You may go away thinking that I am a traitor to her, but you will take with you the conviction that I am honest, and that is the foundation for my claim against you.” “I know you are not a traitor to her cause,” he replied. “You are its lifelong supporter. You have done more for Matilde than------” “Than Matilde could have done for herself? Isn't that true? I have forced you to confess that you loved her for twenty-five years with all your soul. I have done my duty for her. Now I am beginning to take myself into account. Some day we will meet again and--well, it will not be disloyalty to Matilde that moves you to say that you love me.” He was silent for a long time. When at last he spoke his voice was full of gentleness.