He looked at her as if he scarcely believed his ears.  He was silent for some seconds, and very quietly she turned to him and handed him a cup.

He took it from her and instantly set it aside.

“Be good enough to answer my question!” he said.

She heard the gathering sternness in his tone, and, tea-cup in hand, she laughed.  A curious recklessness possessed her that night.  She felt as if she had the strength to fling off the bands of tyranny.  But her heart had begun to beat very fast.  She realized that this was no mere skirmish.

“Why should I answer you?” she asked, helping herself to some more cream with a hand that was slightly unsteady in spite of her effort to control it.  “I do not see the necessity.”

“I think you do,” he rejoined.

Nina said no more.  She swallowed her tea, nibbled at a wafer with a species of deliberate trifling calculated to proclaim aloud her utter fearlessness, and at length rose to go.

In that moment her husband stepped forward and took her by the shoulders.

“Before you leave this room, please,” he said quietly.

She drew back from him in a blaze of indignant rebellion.

“I will not!” she said.  “Let me go instantly!”

His hold tightened.  His face was more grim than she had ever seen it.  His eyes seemed to beat hers down.  Yet when he spoke he did not raise his voice.

“I have borne a good deal from you, Nina,” he said.  “But there is a limit to every man’s endurance.”

“You married me against my will,” she panted.  “Do you think I have not had anything to endure, too?”

“That accusation is false,” he said.  “You married me of your own accord.  Without my money, you would have passed me by with scorn.  You know it.”

She began to tremble violently.

“Do you deny that?” he insisted pitilessly.

“At least you pressed me hard,” she said.

“I did,” he replied.  “I saw you meant to sell yourself.  And I did not mean you to go to any scoundrel.”

“So you bought me for yourself?” she said, with a wild laugh.

“I did.”  Wingarde’s voice trembled a little.  “I paid your price,” he said, “and I have taken very little for it.  You have offered me still less.  Now, Nina, understand!  This is not going on for ever.  I simply will not bear it.  You are my wife, sworn to obey me—­and obey me you shall.”

He held her fast in front of him.  She could feel the nervous strength of his hands.  It thrilled her through and through.  She felt like a trapped animal in his grasp.  Her resistance began to waver.

“What are you going to do?” she asked.

“I am going to conquer you,” he said grimly.

“You won’t do it by violence,” she returned quickly.

Her words seemed to pierce through a weak place in the iron armour in which he had clad himself.  Abruptly he set her free.