“Monty, I can’t possibly go back to that beastly place to-night. She’ll have to stay by herself. And she’s not a bad kid, Monty, but she doesn’t know she’s worth a lot of money.” “Have you been talking to her?” he asked angrily. “I told you——” “No, I’ve only just asked her a few questions. You can’t be in a poky hole like that, thrown together day and night, without talking, can you? Monty, you’re absolutely sure nothing can happen to her?” Monty cleared his throat. “The worst thing that can happen to her,” he said, “is to get married.” She opened her eyes at this. “Does somebody want to marry her?” “Oberzohn,” he said. “That old thing!” she scoffed. Again he found a difficulty in speaking. “I have been thinking it over, honey,” he said. “Marriage doesn’t mean a whole lot to anybody.” “It’ll mean a lot to me,” she said quietly. “Suppose I married her?” he blurted. “You!” She stepped back from him in horror. “Only just a . . . well, this is the truth, Joan. It may be the only way to get her money. Now you’re in on this graft, and you know what you are to me. A marriage—a formal marriage—for a year or two, and then a divorce, and we could go away together, man and wife.” “Is that what he meant?” She jerked her head to the door. “About ‘married so soon’?” “He wants to marry her himself.” “Let him,” she said viciously. “Do you think I care about money? Isn’t there any other way of getting it?” He was silent. There were too many other ways of getting it for him to advance a direct negative. “Oh, Monty, you’re not going to do that?” “I don’t know what I’m going to do yet,” he said. “But not that?” she insisted, clinging to him by his coat. “We’ll talk about it to-night. The old man’s got us tickets for the theatre. We’ll have a bit of dinner up West and go on, and it really doesn’t matter if anybody sees us, because they know very well you’re not in Brussels. What is that queer scent you’ve got?” Joan laughed, forgetting for the moment the serious problem which faced her. “Joss-sticks,” she said. “The place got so close and stuffy, and I found them in the pantry with the provisions. As a matter of fact, it was a silly thing to do, because we had the place full of smoke. It’s gone now, though. Monty, you do these crazy things when you’re locked up,” she said seriously. “I don’t think I can go back again.” “Go back to-morrow,” he almost pleaded. “It’s only for two or three days, and it means a lot to me. Especially now that Oberzohn has ideas.” “You’re not going to think any more about—about marrying her, are you?” “We’ll talk of it to-night at dinner. I thought you’d like the idea of the graft,” he added untruthfully. Joan had to return to her prison to collect some of her belongings. She found the girl lying on the bed, reading, and Mirabelle greeted her with a smile. “Well, is your term of imprisonment ended?” Joan hesitated. “Not exactly. Do you mind if I’m not here to-night?”