"
Olive resumed: "Yesterday, when we had our chat together, I was forced
to draw certain inferences. And I had to tell Clifford that it would be
only right for him to avoid compromising you further."
"What inferences?"
"Must I speak more definitely?"
"I prefer plain speaking."
"Well, that people would begin to talk malicious gossip about yourself
and my husband."
Riviere interrupted again. "This discussion is an insult to Miss
Verney."
But Elaine answered: "I prefer to thresh it out.... What people say
matters nothing to me. In any case, nobody knows that Mr Riviere is your
husband."
"But they will."
"You mean that you'll tell them?"
"It must come out."
"You mean that you want Mr Riviere to return to you openly as your
husband?"
"Naturally."
"Then why did you tell me yesterday that you had cut definitely loose
from him? That you never wanted to see him again? That he was free to
live out his life as John Riviere?"
"Why did you say that you had lived with my husband at Nimes?" retorted
Olive sharply. "That you'd let the divorce suit go undefended?"
It thundered upon Riviere what Elaine had done for him--how she had
wrought her miracle--and that moment cleared his mind of all doubt and
hesitancy.
"I've heard sufficient," he cut in.
"You've not heard all I've got to say!" pursued Olive vindictively, and
a torrent of words poured out from her: "It was a pretty scheme your
Miss Verney had planned! She was to egg me on to divorce you, so that
she could get a clutch on your feelings and marry you and your money!
Your money--that puts it in a nutshell! That's the kind of woman a man
like you falls in love with! A woman who's too shrewd and too cunning to
commit herself.
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