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52 had already left the room to see his client, and the newcomer was left alone with my lover. It was thus that I overheard a most extraordinary conversation. The doctor spoke first.

"By the way, I met Miss K. just before leaving England. She seemed very anxious to know whether you had arrived safely and why you had not sent her the money for her passage out to India. You know her relatives will have nothing to do with her since her engagement to you. So the poor girl . . ."

I began to tremble, and it required a great effort to keep on my feet.

"Nonsense," replied Mr. Roy, "there never was a formal engagement. I thought that affair was a thing of the past. For goodness' sake don't start the subject here, my friends might consider me a villain if they heard of it."

"What else can you make yourself out to be?" was the doctor's firm reply. "Do you consider it honourable conduct to forsake a young girl who trusted you? Before God you were man and wife."

I do not know what happened after this. I fell fainting to the ground.