Money! "The rich man's price!" those
delicately brocaded walls shimmered mockingly at me.
"Anita," said I, "do you _care_ for me?"
She murmured inaudibly. Evasion! thought I, and suspicion sprang on guard,
bristling.
"Anita," I repeated sternly, "do you care for _me_?"
"I am your wife," she replied, her head drooping still lower. And
hesitatingly she drew away from me. That seemed confirmation of my doubt
and I said to her satirically, "You are willing to be my wife out of
gratitude, to put it politely?"
She looked straight into my eyes and answered, "I can only say there is no
one I like so well, and--I will give you all I have to give."
"Like!" I exclaimed contemptuously, my nerves giving way altogether. "And
you would be my _wife_! Do you want me to _despise_ you?" I
struck dead my poor, feeble hope that had been all but still-born. I rushed
from the room, closing the door violently between us.
Such was our housewarming.
XXX
BLACKLOCK OPENS FIRE
For what I proceeded to do, all sorts of motives, from the highest to the
basest, have been attributed to me. Here is the truth: I had already pushed
the medicine of hard work to its limit. It was as powerless against this
new development as water against a drunkard's thirst.
Pages:
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334