I + 

тАЬMiss Harding to see you, madam.тАЭ + 

Nell started. Twenty-four hours had elapsed since her interview with Vernon. She had thought it was finished. And now Jane! + 

She was afraid of Jane. + 

She might refuse to see her. + 

She said: тАЬShow her up here.тАЭ + 

It was more private up here in her own sitting room. + 

What a long time it was waiting. Had Jane gone away again? No, here she was. + 

She looked very tall. Nell cowered down on the sofa. Jane had a wicked faceтБатАФshe had always thought so. There was a look on her face now as of an avenging Fury. + 

The butler left the room. Jane stood towering over Nell. Then she flung back her head and laughed. + 

тАЬDonтАЩt forget to ask me to the christening,тАЭ she said. + 

Nell flinched. She said haughtily: + 

тАЬI donтАЩt know what you mean?тАЭ + 

тАЬItтАЩs a family secret at present, is it? Nell, you damned little liarтБатАФyouтАЩre not going to have a child. I donтАЩt believe you ever will have a childтБатАФtoo much risk and pain. What made you think of telling Vernon such a peculiarly damnable lie?тАЭ + 

Nell said sullenly: тАЬI never told him. HeтБатАФhe guessed.тАЭ + 

тАЬThatтАЩs even more damnable.тАЭ + 

тАЬI donтАЩt know what you mean coming here andтБатАФand saying things like this.тАЭ + 

Her protest sounded weakтБатАФspiritless. For the life of her she couldnтАЩt put the necessary indignation into it. With anyone elseтБатАФnot with Jane. Jane had always been disagreeably clear-eyed. It was awful! If only Jane would go away. + 

She rose to her feet, trying to sound decisive. + 

тАЬI donтАЩt know why you have come here. If it is only to make a sceneтБатАКтБатАжтАЭ + 

тАЬListen, Nell. YouтАЩre going to hear the truth. You chucked Vernon once before. He came to me. YesтБатАФto me. He lived with me for three months. He was living with me when you came to my flat that day. Ah! that hurts you. YouтАЩve still got a bit of raw womanhood left in you, IтАЩm glad to see. + 

тАЬYou took him from me then. He went to you and never gave me a thought. HeтАЩs yours now if you want him. But I tell you this, Nell, if you let him down a second time, heтАЩll come to me again. Oh! yes, he will. YouтАЩve thought things about me in your mindтБатАФturned up your nose at me as тАШa certain kind of woman.тАЩ Well, because of that, perhaps, IтАЩve got power. I know more about men than you will ever learn. I can get Vernon if I want him. And I do want him. I always have.тАЭ + 

Nell shuddered. She turned her face away, digging her nails into the palms of her hands. + 

тАЬWhy do you tell me all this? YouтАЩre a devil.тАЭ + 

тАЬI tell it you to hurt you! To hurt you like hell before itтАЩs too late. No, you shanтАЩt turn your head away. You shanтАЩt shrink away from what IтАЩm telling you. YouтАЩve got to look at me and seeтБатАФyes, seeтБатАФwith your eyes and your heart and your brain.тБатАКтБатАж You love Vernon with the last remaining corner of your miserable little soul. Think of him in my armsтБатАФthink of his lips on mine, of his kisses burning my body.тБатАКтБатАж Yes, you shall think of it. + 

тАЬSoon you wonтАЩt mind even that. But you mind now.тБатАКтБатАж ArenтАЩt you enough of a woman to jib at handing over the man you love to another woman? To a woman you hate? тАШA present for Jane with love from Nell.тАЩтАКтАЭ + 

тАЬGo away,тАЭ said Nell faintly. тАЬGo away.тАЭ + 

тАЬIтАЩm going. ItтАЩs not too late. You can undo the lie you told.тАЭ + 

тАЬGo away.тБатАКтБатАж Go away.тАЭ + 

тАЬDo it soonтБатАФor youтАЩll never do it.тАЭ Jane paused at the door, looking back over her shoulder. тАЬI came for VernonтАЩs sakeтБатАФnot mine. I want him back. And I shall have himтБатАКтБатАжтАЭ she paused, тАЬunlessтБатАКтБатАжтАЭ + 

She went out. + 

Nell sat with her hands clenched. + 

She murmured fiercely: тАЬShe shanтАЩt have him. She shanтАЩt.тАЭ + 

She wanted Vernon. She wanted him. He had loved Jane once. He would love her again. What had she said? тАЬтАж┬аhis lips on mineтБатАКтБатАж his kisses burning myтБатАКтБатАжтАЭ Oh, God, she couldnтАЩt bear it. She started upтБатАФmoved towards the telephone. + 

The door opened. She turned slowly. George came in. He looked very normal and cheerful. + 

тАЬHullo, sweetheart.тАЭ He crossed the room and kissed her. тАЬHere I amтБатАФback again. A nasty crossing. IтАЩd rather have the Atlantic than the Channel any day.тАЭ + 

She had completely forgotten that George was coming home today! She couldnтАЩt tell him this minuteтБатАФit would be too cruel. And besides it was so difficultтБатАФto burst in with the tragic news in the middle of a flow of banalities. This eveningтБатАФlater. In the meantime she would play her part. + 

She returned his embrace mechanically, sat down and listened while he talked. + 

тАЬIтАЩve got a present for you, honey. Something that reminded me of you.тАЭ + 

He took a velvet case from his pocket. + 

Inside, on a bed of white velvet, lay a big rose-coloured diamondтБатАФexquisite, flawlessтБатАФdepending from a long chain. Nell gave a little gasp of pleasure. + 

He lifted the jewel from the case and slipped the chain over her head. She looked down. The exquisite rose-coloured stone blinked up at her from its resting place between her breasts. Something about it hypnotized her. + 

He led her to the glass. She saw a golden-haired beautiful woman, very calm and elegant. She saw the waved and shingled hair, the manicured hands, the foamy negligee of soft lace, the cobweb-silk stockings and little embroidered mules. She saw the hard cold beauty of the rose-coloured diamond. + 

And behind them she saw George ChetwyndтБатАФkindly, generous, deliciously safe. + 

Dear George, she couldnтАЩt hurt him.тБатАКтБатАж + 

Kisses.тБатАКтБатАж What, after all, were kisses? You neednтАЩt think about them. Better not to think of them. + 

VernonтБатАКтБатАж JaneтБатАКтБатАж + 

She wouldnтАЩt think of them. For good or evil sheтАЩd made her choice. There would be bad moments sometimes, but on the whole it would be for the best. Better for Vernon too. If she werenтАЩt happy she couldnтАЩt make him happy. + 

She said gently: тАЬYou are a dear to bring me such a lovely present. Ring for tea. WeтАЩll have it up here.тАЭ + 

тАЬThat will be fine. But werenтАЩt you going to telephone to someone? I interrupted you.тАЭ + 

She shook her head. + 

тАЬNo,тАЭ she said, тАЬIтАЩve changed my mind.тАЭ + 