"I want no foolishness," he said sternly. "That money is yours. You can use it as you like. Of course, I will counsel with you as to reinvestment the best I can. I don't want to see the interest wasted. "I don't ever want to see you in need," he went on. "I don't counsel loose investments. My lawyers will also tell you what to do with your money, and they'll put up to you a list of good, safe, savings-bank investments, the kind that fools and sailors ought to have. I'll help you choose, if you like. I don't want to be ungenerous. This is your estate." III "My _estate_!--But, John, I'm your wife! I don't care for this money. I don't understand it, and I don't want it. I want to be your _wife_, John, the way I always was--I want to help--I want to be useful to you all the time, as I've always tried to be." "Precisely, Laura, and I appreciate that feeling very much. I feel the same way. I want to be as useful as I can to you. We have always been loyal to each other, faithful with each other; I know that. There are not ten men worth my money in this town to-day who can say what I can--that they've been faithful to their wives as I have been to mine. You've been a good woman, and you've worked hard. You say you haven't earned this money, but I think you have. We've been useful, yes, to each other. But when we can't be any more, Laura, why then--" The tears burst from her eyes now. He frowned, that she should interrupt him, but went on. "It shall never be said that I was unkind to you, Laura. Indeed, I shall always feel kindly to you--always remember what you have done." "But you don't, you _don't_, John!" "I don't? What do you mean by that, Laura? Isn't there the proof? Isn't there a _million dollars_ lying right in front of you on that table? And you say this to me, who have just given you a cold _million_!" "That's it, it's a _cold_ million, John," said she bitterly. "It's _cold_!" "Good God! The unreasonableness of woman!" said John Rawn, upturning his eyes. "Now I've thought all this out as carefully as a man can. I've denied myself, to take this much capital out of my investments and set it aside for you. I can make five millions out of that money in the next five years. But no, I reserve it, and I give it to you without stint. I give it to you for your estate, so that you shall never know want--more money than you ever had a right to dream of having. You do that for a woman, and what does she say? Why, she doesn't _want_ it! Good God!" IV "John," she said, struggling for her self-control, "you might at least tell the truth." "What do you mean--the truth?" "It's some other woman, of course!" "I swear to you, Laura, it's nothing of the sort. I've been guilty of no act with any one--" But she shook her head.