"You'll have to!" exploded Severance. "There's nothing else you can do." "You think so? We shall see. But it occurs to me that one instalment deserves another. You pay me by instalments: I allow my wife to go to her mother by instalments. Some of her trunks can go first." "For God's sake don't joke about this thing!" broke out Severance. "It's too coarse--even for you." "Strikes me that it would be coarser to take it seriously," said Garth. "And there's no need of doing that any more." "What do you mean?" the other asked sharply. "As I pointed out before, the 'bargain's' smashed to bits." "Nothing of the sort!" Severance flung at him. "There wasn't a word spoken about handing you the whole million in a bunch." "There was something said about handing it over in advance. It wasn't handed over." "That was Marise's fault, not mine. She rushed on the marriage out of childish pique against me, never stopping to dream of the consequences." "Which, however, haven't been very disastrous for her," said Garth. "Have they, Marise?" "No--o," she murmured. "But oh, please, both of you--don't lose your heads!" "Mine's on my shoulders," returned Garth calmly. "And I see an excrescence of some sort protruding from Severance's. You need have no fear for either of us. Still, if you prefer to wait indoors, we can get on without you for awhile." "No, I'd rather stop where I am." Marise chose. "To go back then," said Garth; "the fault, if it was a fault, anyhow wasn't mine. I obeyed the lady's commands and married her without haggling for money down. As there was no 'bargain' to stick to, I stuck to my post, the post of dummy husband, to oblige her, not for any mercenary reason. I shall go on sticking to it, if not to please her, or myself, just because I've got into the habit. I can't break that even for Mrs. Sorel; certainly not for you." "I'm not talking of myself now," barked Severance. "I'm talking of Marise. She wants to be free. Surely you won't hold her against her will." "Surely she can speak for herself!" said Garth. Marise did not speak. Her senses began to whirl. She did not know what was to become of her. She couldn't tell what she wished would become of her! She felt as if a wave had swept over her head. She was drowning. "No!" snapped Garth, when she remained silent, looking at neither, but gazing anxiously out towards the Canyon. "No, I agreed to play the dummy hand during your absence for the sum of a million dollars. I haven't got the million. But even if I had got it, I should have demanded a second million to clear out. There was nothing specified on that score in New York." "It was taken for granted, of course!" said Severance. "There was no other meaning possible. We trusted to your honour." "We?" "Miss Sorel and I--and her mother." "That's news to me. Perhaps I shall appreciate it as a compliment when I'm old--ninety or so. I don't now. I simply don't believe it." "You think we lie?"