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Updated: May 21, 2025
That night when he came back to his hotel, he understood for the first time that he had throughout been cherishing an unrecognized hope; that he had not been honest with himself, and that all the time beneath his great scheme had lain the belief that when the truth was known Christine would prefer him and his moderate income to Linburne and his wealth; that, in short, the great scheme had been all the time not a method of freeing himself, but a test of her affection.
Linburne that he let me have my visit undisturbed?" There was a long and rather terrible pause, terrible that is to the two men. Christine probably enjoyed every second of it. There was nothing in Linburne's experience of life to make him think that any woman whom he had honored with his preference was likely to prefer another man to himself.
For Riatt, too, the question was an awkward one, but he had his answer ready. "The rights," he said, "of a man who certainly was once engaged to Miss Fenimer, and who came East ignorant that the engagement was already at an end." Christine laughed. "Very neatly put," she said. "Neatly put," exclaimed Linburne. "You talk as if we were playing a game."
Well, you may stay, if you care to burn that scrap of paper." It was now Max's turn to hesitate, for the decision of freedom or captivity was in his own hands; the crisis he had so recklessly rushed to meet was now upon him. "What is in that paper?" asked Linburne, as one who has a right to question. Christine was perfectly good-tempered as she answered: "Well, Lee, it still belongs to Mr.
"Perhaps," he said rather stiffly, "you think I carry out your instructions too exactly. Perhaps I show a more scrupulous devotion in public than you meant." "Oh, no. It looked so well." "It would not have looked so well for Linburne to take you home." She clapped her hands. "Excellent," she said, "but you know it is not necessary to take that proprietary tone when we are alone."
After a moment she glanced up at Max's face, as if she expected to find there an answer to her problem. She did not look at Linburne. "Christine," said Max very gently, "what have you told Mr. Linburne?" "She has told me everything," answered Linburne impetuously, and then seeing by the glance that the two others exchanged that such was not the case, his temper got the best of him.
In the taxicab, he questioned her at once as to her impressions. "I didn't like Mr. Linburne or Mrs. Almar at all, Max. She kept asking me the greatest number of questions about you and the story of your life. What interest has she in you, I wonder?" "None," answered Riatt, but added rather quickly, "And what did you think of Linburne?" "I couldn't bear him, though I own he's nice looking.
There was just one chance for him that Christine might be willing to release him. If she really loved Linburne, if there had been some sort of understanding between them in the past, if his coming had only precipitated a lovers' quarrel, then certainly Christine had too much intelligence to let such a chance slip through her fingers just on the eve of Linburne's divorce.
"Well, Mr. Linburne, I hear you say so." "You shall hear her say so," answered Linburne. "Christine," he added peremptorily, "tell Riatt what you have just been telling me." There was a long painful silence. Both men stood looking intently at Christine, who sat with her head erect, staring ahead of her like a sphinx, but saying nothing.
"If I were of a revengeful disposition," he said to himself, "I should ask nothing better than that she should marry Linburne"; and he concluded that he was not revengeful because he found he did not want it.
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