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第26部分（第1页）

〃You　are　trying　to　warn　me；〃　said　Katherine　in　a　low　voice。　〃Against　whom？〃

〃I　cannot　look　into　your　heart；　Mademoiselle；　I　do　not　think　you　would　let　me　if　I　could。　I　will　just　say　this。　There　are　men　who　have　a　strange　fascination　for　women。〃

〃The　te　de　la　Roche；〃　said　Katherine；　with　a　smile。

〃There　are　others　…　more　dangerous　than　the　te　de　la　Roche。　They　have　qualities　that　appeal　…　recklessness；　daring；　audacity。　You　are　fascinated；　Mademoiselle；　I　see　that；　but　I　think　that　it　is　no　more　than　that。　I　hope　so。　This　man　of　whom　I　speak；　the　emotion　he　feels　is　genuine　enough；　but　all　the　same　…〃

〃Yes？〃

He　got　up　and　stood　looking　down　at　her。　Then　he　spoke　in　a　low；　distinct　voice：

〃You　could；　perhaps；　love　a　thief；　Mademoiselle；　but　not　a　murderer。〃

He　wheeled　sharply　away　on　that　and　left　her　sitting　there。

He　heard　the　little　gasp　she　gave　and　paid　no　attention。　He　had　said　what　he　meant　to　say。　He　left　her　there　to　digest　that　last　unmistakable　phrase。

Derek　Kettering；　ing　out　of　the　Casino　into　the　sunshine；　saw　her　sitting　alone　on　the　bench　and　joined　her。

〃I　have　been　gambling；〃　he　said；　with　a　light　laugh；　〃gambling　unsuccessfully。　I　have　lost　everything　…　everything；　that　is；　that　I　have　with　me。〃

Katherine　looked　at　him　with　a　troubled　face。　She　was　aware　at　once　of　something　new　in　his　manner；　some　hidden　excitement　that　betrayed　itself　in　a　hundred　different　infinitesimal　signs。

〃I　should　think　you　were　always　a　gambler。　The　spirit　of　gambling　appeals　to　you。〃

〃Every　day　and　in　every　way　a　gambler？　You　are　about　right。　Dont　you　find　something　stimulating　in　it？　To　risk　all　on　one　throw　…　there　is　nothing　like　it。〃

Calm　and　stolid　as　she　believed　herself　to　be；　Katherine　felt　a　faint　answering　thrill。

〃I　want　to　talk　to　you；〃　went　on　Derek；　〃and　who　knows　when　I　may　have　another　opportunity？　There　is　an　idea　going　about　that　I　murdered　my　wife　…　no；　please　dont　interrupt。　It　is　absurd；　of　course。〃　He　paused　for　a　minute　or　two；　then　went　on；　speaking　more　deliberately。　〃In　dealing　with　the　police　and　Local　Authorities　here　I　have　had　to　pretend　to　…　well　…　a　certain　decency。　I　prefer　not　to　pretend　with　you。　I　meant　to　marry　money。　I　was　on　the　look　out　for　money　when　I　first　met　Ruth　Van　Aldin。　She　had　the　look　of　a　slim　Madonna　about　her；　and　I　…　well　…　I　made　all　sorts　of　good　resolutions　…　and　was　bitterly　disillusioned。　My　wife　was　in　love　with　another　man　when　she　married　me。　She　never　cared　for　me　in　the　least。　Oh；　I　am　not　plaining；　the　thing　was　a　perfectly　respectable　bargain。　She　wanted　Leconbury　and　I　wanted　money。　The　trouble　arose　simply　through　Ruths　American　blood。　Without　caring　a　pin　for　me；　she　would　have　liked　me　to　be　continually　dancing　attendance。　Time　and　again　she　as　good　as　told　me　that　she　had　bought　me　and　that　I　belonged　to　her。　The　result　was　that　I　behaved　abominably　to　her。　My　father…in…law　will　tell　you　that；　and　he　is　quite　right。　At　the　time　of　Ruths　death；　I　was　faced　with　absolute　disaster。〃　He　laughed　suddenly。　〃One　is　faced　with　absolute　disaster　when　one　is　up　against　a　man　like　Rufus　Van　Aldin。〃

〃And　then？〃　asked　Katherine　in　a　low　voice。

〃And　then；〃　Derek　shrugged　his　shoulders；　〃Ruth　was　murdered　…　very　providentially。〃

He　laughed；　and　the　sound　of　his　laugh　hurt　Katherine。　She　winced。

〃Yes；〃　said　Derek。　〃that　wasnt　in　very　good　taste。　But　it　is　quite　true。　Now　I　am　going　to　tell　you　something　more。　From　the　very　first　moment　I　saw　you　I　knew　you　were　the　only　woman　in　the　world　for　me。　I　was　…　afraid　of　you。　I　thought　you　might　bring　me　bad　luck。〃

〃Bad　luck？〃　said　Katherine　sharply。

He　stared　at　her。　〃Why　do　you　repeat　it　like　that？　What　have　you　got　in　your　mind？〃

〃I　was　thinking　of　things　that　people　have　said　to　me。〃

Derek　grinned　suddenly。　〃They　will　say　a　lot　to　you　about　me；　my　dear；　and　most　of　it　will　be　true。　Yes；　and　worse　things　too　…　things　that　I　shall　never　tell　you。　I　have　been　a　gambler　always　…　and　I　have　taken　some　long　odds。　I　shant　confess　to　you　now　or　at　any　other　time。　The　past　is　done　with。　There　is　one　thing　I　do　wish　you　to　believe。　I　swear　to　you　solemnly　that　I　did　not　kill　my　wife。〃

He　said　the　words　earnestly　enough；　yet　there　was　somehow　a　theatrical　touch　about　them。　He　met　her　troubled　gaze　and　went　on：

〃I　know。　I　lied　the　other　day。　It　was　my　wifes　partment　I　went　into。〃

〃Ah；〃　said　Katherine。

〃Its　difficult　to　explain　just　why　I　went　in；　but　Ill　try。　I　did　it　on　an　impulse。　You　see；　I　was　more　or　less　spying　on　my　wife。　I　kept　out　of　sight　on　the　train。　Mirelle　had　told　me　that　my　wife　was　meeting　the　te　de　la　Roche　in　Paris。　Well；　as　far　as　I　had　seen；　that　was　not　so。　I　felt　ashamed；　and　I　thought　suddenly　that　it　would　be　a　good　thing　to　have　it　out　with　her　once　and　for　all；　so　I　pushed　open　the　door　and　went　in。〃