What he wanted to see her about she could not imagine, unless it was
to make another offer for the Pole Star shares, and as she had already
set his mind at rest on that point, it seemed ridiculous to think that
he would waste his time in trying to encompass the impossible. She was
now quite at ease in her own mind regarding money matters, as the
hundred pounds she had obtained from Silas, together with what she
already had in the bank, would enable her and Kaituna to live in
comfort for the next three or four months in an economical way. Of
course, she quite expected to be in possession of the other four
hundred the next week, which would place them in affluence until the
report of Toby came home about the Pole Star shares, and judging from
the offer made by Dombrain, Mrs. Belswin, with feminine acuteness,
guessed that the shares were more valuable than they now appeared to
be, so that their sale in a few months would realise a decent sum for
Kaituna. If this turned out to be the case, Mrs. Belswin intended to
persuade Kaituna to marry Archie at once, and the future of her child
being thus secured, she cared little for herself. She could certainly
marry herself, as both Ferrari and Belk were devoted to her, but she
despised the first for his cowardice in the matter of removing her
husband, and the latter, in spite of his good looks, was of too lowly
a station for her to think seriously of in any way.
Since her departure from Thornstream, Belk had written to her several
times--ardent, passionate letters, which showed plainly how deeply in
love he was with her; and Mrs. Belswin could not but feel a thrill of
pride at the thought of her own attractions, even at the mature age of
forty-five. At present, however, she had more important things to
think of than marriage, and drove along to Dombrain's office in a
puzzled state of mind, trying to think of the reason why he wanted to
see her, so that she could be prepared to hold her own.
That Silas had stolen a march on her she never for a moment dreamed;
and had she guessed the real object of the interview sought by Mr.
Dombrain, she would doubtless have felt somewhat ill at ease. As it
was, however, she knew nothing; and thus, ignorance being bliss, she
walked boldly into the dingy office, and took her accustomed seat with
her usual defiant air.
Dombrain himself was rather nervous, although he now assumed a
bullying manner towards the woman he was afraid of. She had held a
power over him which had hitherto precluded him from talking to her as
he would have wished; but now he had discovered something about her
life which gave him the advantage, and he determined to use his power
to insult, sneer, and crush her; in fact, treat her in the same way as
she had hitherto treated him.