Talk to me, if you want to, but don't, don't come near me." She was now facing him, standing in the high-ceilinged "studio," as they called the room where she had kept up in a desultory manner for her own amusement the art studies which had interested her before her marriage.

"What is it that you want to say?
The other nights you said nothing at all.

Have you at last thought up an excuse?
I hope it is at least a clever one." "Constance," he remonstrated, looking fearfully about.

Instinctively she felt that her accusation was unjust.

Not even that had dulled the hunted look in his face.