"You angry man, you asked me what I think of him and I have told you. I have turned the battery on you, Fletcher. I know your worth exactly. I am useful to you; you are useful to me--that is all." "All!" he exclaimed. "Well, what else? We are not in love, are we?" "No, I suppose not. Has it ever occurred to you, Lenise, that I want you to be my wife?" he asked. "No, it has not occurred to me, nor has it occurred to you before to-night," she said. "Yes, it has." "I doubt it. Besides, things are much better as they are. I would not be your wife if you asked me," she said. "Why not?" he asked. "Because--oh, for the very sufficient reason that you could not keep me, and I have sufficient to live upon," she said. He saw it would be better to drop the subject and said: "You have no objection to giving me a helping hand?" "In what way?" "This man Rolfe has money. I don't agree with your estimate of him as a strong man; I think he is weak. He may be useful to me." "You mean he may be induced to finance some of your schemes?" she said. "Yes; why not? Where's the harm? His money is as good as another's, or better." "And you think I will lure him into your financial net?" she said calmly. "Not exactly that; you can hint that I sometimes get in the know, behind the scenes, and so on, then leave the rest to me," he said. "Take care, Fletcher. This man Rolfe is more than your equal; I am sure of it. If he is drawn into your schemes it will be for some object of his own. Don't drag me into it." "There's no dragging about it. You have merely to give me a good character, say I am clever and shrewd--you know how to work it," he said. "Yes, I think I know how to work it," she said quietly. CHAPTER XVIII CONSCIENCE TROUBLES Lenise Elroy sat in her bedroom long after Fletcher Denyer left the house. She dismissed her maid before undressing, who, accustomed to her mistress's moods, thought nothing of it.