Page:The Fate of Fenella (1892).djvu/216

 "Not quite," said Lucille with a cold smile. "You must be a bad man of business, and yet you have realized a fortune."

"Yes, I have made my pile, madame," he returned, with a vague feeling of uneasiness, "and as to my being a man of business, why you just ask anyone who knows me."

"There is no necessity," said Lucille, "because I can test you myself. As a man of business, how much do you intend to pay me to go away?"

The colonel indulged in a low whistle, and for a moment regarded with absolute admiration the woman he had for a time believed to be his wife. Then he slowly produced his pocket-book, and taking out some notes, placed them before her. She took them up and reckoned the amount. "Not bad for a first bid," she observed, "and I see you know how to deal. You are a better man of business than I imagined. Say double, and we will call it done."

Again the Senator produced his pocket-book, and once more extracted from its recesses some notes. He placed these before Lucille, and she took them up as before. Once again she arrived at a total.

"You are satisfied I shall not disturb you," she asked. "You can trust me?"

"Well, yes, madame, I can," replied the colonel. "You think quite rightly that I don't want a scandal. I don't. But if there is to be one, we