“You will go!” “In June, nineteen hundred and eighteen, when Joan Meredyth was a girl at school—” “I have told you that I will not listen.” “She gave it out that she was leaving England for Australia. She never went in reality, she— “Once more I order you to go before I—” “In reality she was living with Mr. Hugh Alston as his wife—” Philip Slotman laughed nervously. “Liar!” “I had to tell you in spite of yourself, and it is true. It is true. Ask Lady Linden of Cornbridge; she knows. She believes to this day that Joan Meredyth and Alston were married, and they never were. I have searched the registers at Marlbury and—” “Will you go? You seem to have been hurt. You have probably carried this lying story elsewhere and have received what you merited. I hardly like to touch you now, but unless you go—” “I am going.” Slotman moved stiffly towards the door. “Ask Lady Linden of Cornbridge. She believes to this day that Joan Meredyth is Hugh Alston’s wife.” “By heavens! If you don’t go—” Slotman glanced at him; he saw that he was over-stepping the danger-line. Yes, he must go, and quickly, so he went. But he had planted the venom; he had left it behind him. He had forced this man to hear, even though he would not listen. “First blow,” Slotman thought, “the first blow at her! And I ain’t done yet! no, I ain’t done yet. I’ll make her writhe—” He paused. He had not carried out his intention in full, this man had not given him time. Of course, if it was only Joan’s money that this fellow Everard was after, the story would make little or no difference. The marriage would go on all the same, if it was a matter of money, but— Philip Slotman retraced his painful steps. Once again he tapped on the door of Buddesby. “There was something that I wished to say to Mr. Everard that I entirely forgot—a small matter,” he said to the servant. “Don’t trouble, I know the way.” He pushed past the girl into the house. Johnny, staring before him into vacancy, trying to realise this incredible, impossible thing that the man had told him, started. He looked up. In the doorway stood Mr. Slotman. “By Heaven!” said Johnny, and sprang up. “If you don’t go—” “Wait! You don’t think I should be such a fool as to come to you with a lying story, a story that could not be substantiated? What I have told you is the truth. You may not believe it, because you don’t want to. You are marrying a young lady with ample possessions; that may weigh with you. Now, rightly or wrongly, I hold that Miss Meredyth owes me a certain sum of money. I want that money. It doesn’t matter to me whether I get it from her or from you. If you like to pay her debt, I will guarantee silence. I shall carry this true story no further if you will undertake to pay me immediately following your marriage with her the sum of ten thousand—”