Lorraine beat on the table and said nothing; and Devereux, after watching him a moment, said nothing more. Lorraine was a weak character, whom opposition sometimes makes the more determined. And while Warwick did not care particularly for him, he wanted to save Stephanie the embarrassment that a revival of the affair would be sure to cause. So far as the two men were concerned, they might fight it out and welcome--and if they killed each other, it would not be much loss to the world. From which it may be seen that Pendleton's view-point was the view-point of Devereux--as well as of most of the men. Presently Lorraine spoke. "I wonder where Amherst is?" he said. "Abroad," Devereux answered. "I mean, where abroad?" "In Siberia or the Congo or Australia or anywhere that's far off. I should bury myself." "More than likely he is in London or Paris," Lorraine insisted. "More than likely he is," Devereux admitted. "I hear that he has converted all his real estate, and has slipped his moorings for good and all." "You mean that he is never coming back?" "Such is the report from an authentic source, I'm told." Lorraine smiled a bit grimly. "_Never_ is a long time," he said. "I'll not believe it--and I shall hope not until I die.--Someway--somehow--I'm going to square off with Amherst. It may be years, yet I shall do it--and do it well." "What if Stephanie and you make it up--you won't think then of harming Amherst?" said Devereux. "No--I suppose not--at least, not openly; but if we don't make it up----" another gesture ended the sentence. Devereux frowned and was about to answer; then he pulled himself up, and with the slightest lift of his eyebrows busied himself with his drink. There was no use in arguing with Lorraine--he would not know his own mind more than an hour anyway. "There is another contingency, Lorraine," said he:--"Suppose you don't succeed in effecting a reconciliation with Stephanie--what then?" "I'll never give up trying," Lorraine replied. "But if your efforts after a time prove fruitless, will persistence be of any avail? Won't it simply make her more irreconcilable and unyielding?" "You mean will I divorce her--or permit her to obtain a divorce?" Devereux nodded. "Most assuredly not!" Lorraine declared. "If _I'm_ not to have her, who belongs to me, none else shall." "Sort of a dag in the manger business?" Devereux smiled. "Not at all.--I'm simply keeping what is mine." "Not exactly--you will be keeping what _was_ yours but is yours no longer." "You think that I should let her go?" "If a reconciliation is impossible, I think that you should let her go. What is more, you should make it possible for _her_ to get the divorce." "You mean I should admit----"