Virginia looked around the room drearily.

“You are going away?” she said.

“I am going to Europe,” Stella answered.  “I hate America.  I hate the whole atmosphere here.  It is a vile, unnatural life.  I am going to try and live somewhere where people are simpler, and where life is not made up of gambling and plotting and senseless luxuries.  I am tired to death of it all!”

“You are going to be married?”

Stella turned away and hid her face.

“No!” she said, “I do not think so.”

There was a short silence.  Virginia rose to her feet.

“Well,” she said, “I think you have been a little unkind to me, Stella.  I could have reached the bell and stopped you, only I hated to seem rude in your father’s house.”

“I am sorry,” Stella said simply.  “You see I am like all those other poor fools who care for a man.  I put him first, and everybody else nowhere.  Don’t be afraid that I shall not have to suffer for it.  I dare say if you know me, or anything about me, in five years’ time, you will feel that you have had your revenge.  If you take my advice, little girl,” she added, speaking more kindly, “you will go back to your farmhouse and take up your simpler life there.  I do not fancy that you were made for cities, or the ways of cities.  I lived in the country once, and I was a very different sort of person.  Run away now.  I can do nothing for you, so it is no use staying, but if ever you need help, the ordinary, commonplace sort of help, I mean, write to me to Baring’s, either in London or Paris.  I’ll do what I can.”

Virginia went out again into the street and drove back home.  Mechanically she changed her clothes and dressed for dinner.  At eight o’clock she descended, shivering.  Her uncle was already in his place.  He rose as she entered, gravely, and took his place again as she sank into hers.  His face was like a mask.  He said nothing, and the few remarks which he made during dinner-time were on purely ordinary topics.  There was only a minute or two, after the dessert had been placed upon the table and the remaining man servant had gone out with a message, during which they were alone.  Then Virginia summoned up her courage to speak of the matter which was like a nightmare in her thoughts.

“Uncle,” she said, “I think you ought to know this.  I went to Mr. Weiss’ office.  He did not know that the paper was not still in your keeping.  I went to Stella, and she told me that she had not taken it for them.  She told me that they had offered her one hundred thousand dollars for it, but she never had any idea of letting them have it.”

If Phineas Duge was surprised, he showed no signs of it, only he looked steadily into his niece’s face for a moment or two before he replied.

“Stella,” he said coldly, “has taken her goods to a poor market.  Norris Vine is on the brink of ruin.  If I turn the screw to-morrow, he must come down.”