The Money Master, Complete

gh perhaps she already knew. But there was Jean Jacques on his way back to the Manor, and nothing remained but to proceed to Laplatte, and give the woman up for ever. He had no wish

but it was impossible. She would have to face the full shock from Jean Jacq

while he went to the main road where he had left

f the bad dreams of the night, she found that he had had his breakfast earlier than usual and had gone to the mill. She also learned that he had eaten very little, and that he had sent a man into

he air at imaginary things, as she had so often seen Jean Jacques do. She knew her Jean Jacques. That is, she thought she knew her Jean Jacques after living with him for over thirteen years; but hers was a very common mistake. It is not time which gives revelation, or which turns a character inside out, and exposes a new and amazing, maybe revolting side to it. She had never really seen Jean Jacques, and he had never really seen himself, as he was, but only as circumstances made him seem to be. What he had showed of his nat

g behind her the pretty, clever, volatile Zoe ... Zoe-ah, where was Zoe? Carmen beca

ld's presence would but heighten the emotion of her exit from that place where her youth had been wasted. Already the few things she had meant to take away were secreted in a safe place some distance from the h

or youth and beauty. There was not a grey hair in the dark brown of her head, there was not a wrinkle-yes, there were two at the corners of her mouth, which told the story of her restlessness, of her hunger for the excitement of which she had been d

er care to sing, which was far more important. She would sing to the master-carpenter. Though he had not asked her to go with him-only to meet in a secret place in the hills-she meant to do so, just as she once meant to marry Jean Jacques, and had done so. It was true she would probably not have married Jean Jacques, if it had not been for the wreck of the Antoine; but the wreck had occurred, and she had married him, and that was done and ov

g that physical force-an army in arms, a battleship-conveys? In any case it was there, that inherent masterfulness, though not in its highest form. She was not an aristocrat, she was no daughter of kings, no duchess of Castile, no dona

rightened by a paste ornament; as she saw the smooth breadth of brow, the fulness of the lips, the limpid lustre of the large eyes, the well-curv

to that on the morning when Jean Jacques had refrained from killing the soul-disturber, the master-carpenter, who had with such

his shoulders back also, as though to assert his physical manhood. He wore no hat, his hands were making involuntary gestures of helplessness. But presently he seemed to assert authorit

s soon as she saw his face she was s

. She shrank from the uprolling of the curtain of the last thirteen years, from the grim exposure of the nakedness of their life together. Her indolent nature in repose wanted the

look came into her eyes. He might try to kill her, but she had seen death in many forms far away in Spain, and she would not be afraid till there was cause. Imagination would not

was bent over her knittin

k at me?" he asked in a

looked straight into h

ing," she

g to my wife yesterday, but I will not say it to-day. What is

er needles going faster now. She was

g good? Speak. Why is

!" she replied with e

d it is enough for a l

had lost timbre. It was suddenly weak, but fro

r. I saw what you did. I heard you say, 'Ye

he lay by her side all night. He knew it, and said nothing! But what had he done-what had he done? She waited for she knew not what. George Masson was to come and inspect the fl

id: "There he was down in the flume, there was I at the lever above, the

d; a pallor swept across her face. She felt as she did when sh

unded louder and

cried. "You drove him into

to be done, and it was the safest way. It would

d him!" she gaspe

neered. "Surely my wife w

k at him. "To crawl like a snake and let loose a river on a

a man who had stolen what was nearer and dearer than a man's own flesh, and for which he would have given his own flesh fifty times? Was

n the dark of what is worth fifty time

he cried hoarsely. "Yo

ll-you will

Where-where is he? Has he gone down the rive

g gesture, as one

gard. George Masson was right when he said that she would give him up; tha

not think of that, eh? To have your revenge on the man who was no more to blame tha

at he had said about his child, Zoe. What a good thi

almost pleased that he could reason. "And you would give me over to the law

no child. Take your life. Take it. I will go and find his body," she said, and

iver," he exclaimed.

d at him blankly. Then his

im?" she asked scar

m go," he

him-why?" There was

hat way?" he asked with te

self against a chair; for, now that the suspense was over, she felt as thou

hing to be big," he rejoined. "The greatest men in the world have bee

fully. "What are you goi

have had my faults. You were not to blame altogether. I have left you too much alone. I did not understand everything all through. I had never studied women. If I had I should have done the right thing always. I

doing. She had come from a land of No Forgiveness. Carvillho Gonzales would have kill

men, as he understood philosophy! This was too fantastic for human reason. She stared at him, unable to

ing into his eyes. "I know what mistakes I've made"-had not George Masson the despoiler told him of them?-"and I know what a scoundrel that fellow is, and what tricks of

en!" he said, and made as t

en she added with a flattery which she knew would tell, "I cannot think quick as you do. I am s

e patted her shoulder as one would that of a child. It

d her she would have felt that she must push him