"Stepan--what card? But you are going to make me happy anyway, darling Brute; that is what I have come for, and you know it!" Her eyes were not so successfully innocent as usual when she lied. She was uneasy at his stolidity, some fear stayed with her that perhaps he meant not to gratify her desires just to be provoking. He had teased her more than once before. Verisschenzko went on, lighting his cigarette calmly: "It was a silly plot--Ferdinand Ardayre wrote it and you dictated it; I perceived the whole thing at once. You did it because you were jealous of Lady Ardayre--you believe that I love her--" "I do not know anything about a card, but I _am_ jealous about that hateful bit of bread and butter," and her eyes flashed. "It is so unlike you to worry over such a creature--I'm what you like!" He laughed softly. "A man has many sides--you appeal to his lowest. Fortunately it is not in command of him all the time--but let me tell you more about the forgery. You over-reached yourselves--you made John ignore something which would have been his first thought, thus the fraud was exposed at once." Her jealousy blazed up, so that she forgot herself and prudence. "You mean about the child--your child--" The ominous gleam came into Verisschenzko's eyes. "My child--you spoke of it once before and I warned you--I never speak idly." She got up from the table and came and flung her arms round his neck. "Stepan, I love you--I love you! I would like to kill Amaryllis and the child--I want you--why are you so changed?" He only laughed scornfully again, while he disengaged her arms. "Do you know how I found out? By the perfume--the same as you told me must be that of Stanislass' mistress--on the handkerchief marked 'F.A.' The whole thing was dramatically childish. You thought to prove her husband was still alive, would stop my marriage with Amaryllis Ardayre!" "Then you are going to marry her!" Harietta's hazel eyes flashed fire, her face had grown distorted with passion and her cheeks burned beyond the rouge. She appeared a most revolting sight to Stepan. He watched her with cold, critical eyes. As she put out her hands he noticed how the thumbs turned right back. How had he ever been able to touch her in the past! He shivered with disgust and degradation at the thought. She saw his movement of repulsion, and completely lost her head. She flung herself into his arms and almost strangled him in her furious embrace, while she threw all restraint to the winds and poured out a torrent of passion, intermingled with curses for one who had dared to try and rob her of this adored mate. It was a wonderful and very sickening exhibition, Verisschenzko thought. He remained as a statue of ice. Then when she had exhausted herself a little, he spoke with withering calm.