"I wouldn't let Edward break our engagement because I thought it would be an incentive to him. I wanted to be an inspiration to him. I thought if anything could enable him to achieve success it was the thought that I loved him. I have done all I could. It's hopeless. It would only be weakness on my part not to recognise the facts. Poor Edward, he's nobody's enemy but his own. He was a dear, nice fellow, but there was something lacking in him, I suppose it was backbone. I hope he'll be happy." She slipped the ring off her finger and placed it on the table. Bateman watched her with a heart beating so rapidly that he could hardly breathe. "You're wonderful, Isabel, you're simply wonderful." She smiled, and, standing up, held out her hand to him. "How can I ever thank you for what you've done for me?" she said. "You've done me a great service. I knew I could trust you." He took her hand and held it. She had never looked more beautiful. "Oh, Isabel, I would do so much more for you than that. You know that I only ask to be allowed to love and serve you." "You're so strong, Bateman," she sighed. "It gives me such a delicious feeling of confidence." "Isabel, I adore you." He hardly knew how the inspiration had come to him, but suddenly he clasped her in his arms, and she, all unresisting, smiled into his eyes. "Isabel, you know I wanted to marry you the very first day I saw you," he cried passionately. "Then why on earth didn't you ask me?" she replied. She loved him. He could hardly believe it was true. She gave him her lovely lips to kiss. And as he held her in his arms he had a vision of the works of the Hunter Motor Traction and Automobile Company growing in size and importance till they covered a hundred acres, and of the millions of motors they would turn out, and of the great collection of pictures he would form which should beat anything they had in New York. He would wear horn spectacles. And she, with the delicious pressure of his arms about her, sighed with happiness, for she thought of the exquisite house she would have, full of antique furniture, and of the concerts she would give, and of the _thes dansants_, and the dinners to which only the most cultured people would come. Bateman should wear horn spectacles. "Poor Edward," she sighed. IV _Red_