"But I--" she began. He interrupted her gently.

"There is a mail for the Cape to-morrow night. I cannot wait a moment longer, Loree."

"I will not come!" She drew herself up in a last effort at resistance.

"There must be no 'will not.'" His eyes grew colder, his jaw resolute.

He put out a light finger and touched the diamonds. "Don't you understand that, by this chain, you have bound yourself to me? And do you think I will ever let you go? Never! I will pull down the temple of your reputation into the dust first, and perish myself in the ruins.

Oh, darling, do not force me to say such things!"

"You could not touch my reputation," she said, but her heart trembled.

"Would you wish it to be thought that you could be bought with diamonds, Loree? _I_ understand; but would the world understand the love of beauty in you that made you take that rose diamond from the De Beers office?"

She gave a wild cry.

"I did not! I did not! Oh, you know I did not!"

He shrugged carelessly.

"At any rate, you acquired it, and kept it, and the De Beers people-- well, they are not very understanding, either; but I have power--I explained, defended you, paid for the diamond and for silence."

"My G.o.d! You think I stole it? _They think so_?" She swayed as if she had been struck, almost fainting from this worst blow of all.

"What does it matter what they think?" he said soothingly. "They will be silent because I will it. As for me, I love you, and nothing you do could make any difference."

The girl stared before her, distraught, frantic.

"And the necklace?" she stammered.

"The necklace was different. That was my gift to you, and you have graced it by wearing it. I have traced its outline often round your lovely shoulders--and longed for the day when I could kiss it there."

His eyes grew dark again with the great pa.s.sion he felt for her. He put out his arms entreatingly. But she drew back, shuddering. Her lips were dumb; her hair was in turmoil; her heart seemed turned to ice, but her feet still knew their uses. She dashed past him and ran.

Even in her room, with the door locked and barricaded, she did not feel safe. Panting, she threw herself down and sobbed--dry sobs of fear and anger and despair. What had she done? Where would it end?

"Am I mad?" she whispered. "Have I been walking in madness all these days, believing myself happy with these accursed stones, betraying my husband's love for me--his honour and upright name?"

She wept, she trembled; she cursed the day she had ever seen diamonds, and cast them from her on the floor. At last, she flung herself on her knees with the broken and bitter cry of a contrite heart.

"O G.o.d, help me!"

To her door came a soft knock. She raised her dreary, emotion-racked face and listened, trembling, for a while before she dared respond with an inquiry.

"Who is there?"

It was Valeria Cork's voice that answered.

"May I come in for a moment?"

Loree's first impulse was to deny her. All her inclinations were opposed to being seen in such a state of misery and disarray. Yet--had she not called on G.o.d for help? And was not here one stronger and abler than herself? Of instinct, she knew that Valeria Cork, for good or evil, had more force of will than she herself possessed. She opened the door.

Mrs Cork, with her ravaged face and burnt-out eyes, came in, carrying the note Loree had written that afternoon. "Will you tell me," she said, in a cold, far-off voice in which there was no life, "what your reason was for supposing I stood in need of money?"

The whole thing seemed of small consequence to Loree now. Graver issues than another woman's displeasure faced her.

"I saw you in the p.a.w.nshop, and I noticed afterwards that your pendant was gone," she answered drearily. That was conclusive enough, and so was the flush that stained the older woman's cheek.

"Oh!" she jerked out, and for a moment stood staring at the distraught face of the girl. "Then I have to thank you, Mrs Temple, and take back my words. I see now that it was not impertinence on your part, but a rare generosity. I am ashamed."

"It doesn't matter," said Loree. "Nothing matters."

"What is wrong?" asked Valeria Cork dully, and sat down. She seemed unprepared for Loree's action in flinging her arms round her and bursting into tears, but she remained stonily calm.

"Oh, I am in such trouble!" sobbed Loree. "Such terrible trouble!"

"Tell me about it."

She did not comfortingly pat the girl in her arms, or kiss her, as most women would have done, either sincerely or insincerely. She simply sat there, holding her quietly, staring before her. On a table, the photograph of Pat Temple stared back with his large, frank gaze.

Loree did not tell the full tale, but only what seemed essential to make the other woman understand her distress and peril. She recounted her finding of the necklace and Quelch's threats and bold wooing in the garden. But she did not begin at the beginning of the trouble, which was when the little pink G.o.d cast its spell over her. There seemed no sense in dragging forth that pagan idol from its grove wherein she had so abandonedly worshipped. In the end, she sat wiping her tear-distorted face and gazing hopelessly at the other's grave eyes.

Said Valeria Cork, at last:

"He has us both in his power."

"You? What can he do to hurt you?"

"Much. I stole a rough diamond that day we went to the De Beers office.

It was only by grace of him that I was not arrested."

Loree shrank back, horrified.

"O G.o.d--how dreadful!"

"Dreadful, yes," agreed Valeria tonelessly. "But you? Did you not steal, too?"

"I?"

Mrs Cork's speech a.s.sumed its usual biting flavour.

"Did you know that the rose diamond you found on your table was not yours? Or did you suppose that an angel had come down from heaven to present you with it?"

"The rose diamond?" faltered Loree.

"Yes--your 'pink topaz.'"

"How did you know?" whispered the girl, deeply shamed.

"I put it there, of course. It was the price Quelch demanded for saving me from arrest. You remember the incident at Alexandersfontein when he trod on your frock and you were obliged to go and mend it, leaving us together? That was the time he chose to blackmail me into being his tool. Both the rose diamond and the necklace were placed in your room by me."