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Claire looked away down the road and began to speak in a low； quick voice：
'I've been a fool all along。 I lost you through being a fool。 When I saw you dancing with that girl in the restaurant I didn't stop to think。 I was angry。 I was jealous。 I ought to have trusted you； butOh； well； I was a fool。'
'My dear girl； you had a perfect right'
'I hadn't。 I was an idiot。 Bill； I've e to ask you if you can't forgive me。'
'I wish you wouldn't talk like thatthere's nothing to forgive。'
The look which Claire gave him in answer to this was meek and affectionate； but inwardly she was wishing that she could bang his head against the gate。 His slowness was maddening。 Long before this he should have leaped into the road in order to fold her in his arms。 Her voice shook with the effort she had to make to keep it from sharpness。
'I mean； is it too late？ I mean； can you really forgive me？ Oh； Bill'she stopped herself by the fraction of a second from adding 'you idiot''can't we be the same again to each other？ Can't wepretend all this has never happened？'
Exasperating as Bill's wooden failure to play the scene in the spirit in which her imagination had conceived it was to Claire； several excuses may be offered for him： He had opened the evening with a shattering blow at his faith in woman。 He had walked twenty miles at a rapid pace。 He had heard shots and found a corpse； and carried the latter by the tail across country。 Finally； he had had the stunning shock of discovering that Elizabeth Boyd loved him。 He was not himself。 He found a difficulty in concentrating。 With the result that； in answer to this appeal from a beautiful girl whom he had once imagined that he loved； all he could find to say was： 'How do you mean？'
Claire； never an adept at patience； just succeeded in swallowing the remark that sprang into her mind。 It was incredible to her that a man could exist who had so little intuition。 She had not anticipated the necessity of being pelled to put the substance of her meaning in so many blunt words； but it seemed that only so could she make him understand。
'I mean； can't we be engaged again； Bill？'
Bill's overtaxed brain turned one convulsive hand…spring； and came to rest with a sense of having dislocated itself。 This was too much。 This was not right。 No fellow at the end of a hard evening ought to have to grapple with this sort of thing。 What on earth did she mean； springing questions like that on him？ How could they be engaged？ She was going to marry someone else； and so was he。 Something of these thoughts he managed to put into words：
'But you're engaged to'
'I've broken my engagement with Mr Pickering。'
'Great Scot！ When？'
'To…night。 I found out his true character。 He is cruel and treacherous。 Something happenedit may sound nothing to you； but it gave me an insight into what he really was。 Polly Wetherby had a little monkey； and just because it bit Mr Pickering he shot it。'
'Pickering！'
'Yes。 He wasn't the sort of man I should have expected to do a mean； cruel thing like that。 It sickened me。 I gave him back his ring then and there。 Oh； what a relief it was！ What a fool I was ever to have got engaged to such a man。'
Bill was puzzled。 He was one of those simple men who take their fellows on trust； but who； if once that trust is shattered； can never recover it。 Like most simple men； he was tenacious of ideas when he got them； and the belief that Claire was playing fast and loose was not lightly to be removed from his mind。 He had found her out during his self…munion that night； and he could never believe her again。 He had the feeling that there was something behind what she was saying。 He could not put his finger on the clue； but that there was a clue he was certain。
'I only got engaged to him out of pique。 I was angry with you； andWell； that's how it happened。'
Still Bill could not believe。 It was plausible。 It sounded true。 And yet some instinct told him that it was not true。 And while he waited； perplexed； Claire made a false step。
The thing had been so close to the top of her mind ever since she had e to the knowledge of it that it had been hard for her to keep it down。 Now she could keep it down no longer。
'How wonderful about old Mr Nutbe； Bill！' she said。
A vast relief rolled over Bill。 Despite his instinct； he had been wavering。 But now he understood。 He had found the clue。
'You got my letter； then？'
'Yes； it was forwarded on from the theatre。 I got it to…night。'
Too late she realized what she had said and the construction that an intelligent man would put on it。 Then she reflected that Bill was not an intelligent man。 She shot a swift glance at him。 To all appearances he had suspected nothing。
'It went all over the place；' she hurried on。 'The people at the Portsmouth theatre sent it to the London office； who sent it home； and mother mailed it on to me。'
'I see。'
There was a silence。 Claire drew a step nearer。
'Bill！' she said softly。
Bill shut his eyes。 The moment had e which he had dreaded。 Not even the thought that she was crooked； that she had been playing with him； could make it any better。 She was a woman and he was a man。 That was all that mattered； and nothing could alter it。
'I'm sorry；' he said。 'It's impossible。'
Claire stared at him in amazement。 She had not been prepared for this。 He met her eyes； but every nerve in his body was protesting。
'Bill！'
'I'm sorry。
'But； Bill！'
He set his teeth。 It was just as bad as he had thought it would be。
'But； Bill； I've explained。 I've told you how'
'I know。'
Claire's eyes opened wide。
'I thought you loved me。' She came closer。 She pulled at his sleeve。 Her voice took on a note of soft raillery。 'Don't be absurd； Bill！ You mustn't behave like a sulky schoolboy。 It isn't like you； this。 You surely don't want me to humble myself more than I have done。' She gave a little laugh。 'Why； Bill； I'm proposing to you！ I know I've treated you badly； but I've explained why。 You must be just enough to see that it wasn't altogether my fault。 I'm only human。 And if I made a mistake I've done all I can do to undo it。 I'
'Claire； listen： I'm engaged！'
She fell back。 For the first time the sense of defeat came to her。 She had anticipated many things。 She had looked for difficulties。 But she had not expected this。 A feeling of cold fury surged over her at the way fate had tricked her。 She had gambled recklessly on her power of fascination； and she had lost。
Mr Pickering； at that moment brooding in solitude in the smoking…room of Lady Wetherby's house； would have been relieved could he have known how wistfully she was thinking of him。
'You're engaged？'
'Yes。'
'Well！' She forced another laugh。 'How veryrapid of you！ To whom？'
'To Elizabeth Boyd。'
'I'm afraid I'm very ignorant； but who is Elizabeth Boyd？ The ornate lady you were dancing with at the restaurant？'
'No！'
'Who then？'
'She is old Ira Nutbe's niece。 The money ought to have been left to her。 That was why I came over to America； to see if I could do anything for her。'
'And you're going to marry her？ How very romanticand convenient！ What an excellent arrangement for her。 Which of you suggested it？'
Bill drew in a deep breath。 All this was； he supposed； unavoidable； but it was not pleasant。
Claire suddenly abandoned her pose of cool amusement。 The fire behind it blazed through。
'You fool！' she cried passionately。 'Are you blind？ Can't you see that this girl is simply after your money？ A child could see it。'
Bill looked at her steadily。
'You're quite wrong。 She doesn't know who I am。'
'Doesn't know who you are？ What do you mean？ She must know by this time that her uncle left his money to you。'
'But she doesn't know that I am Lord Dawlish。 I came to America under another name。 She knows me as Chalmers。'
Claire was silent for a moment。
'How did you get to know her？' she asked； more quietly。
'I met her brother by chance in New York。'
'By chance！'
'Quite by chance。 A man I knew in England lent me his rooms in New York。 He happened to be a friend of Boyd's。 Boyd came to call on him one night； and found me。'
'Odd！ Had your mutual friend been away from New York lon