“Just the same I’m going to try it.”

Her words were final.  There was no recalling them.  She was determined upon a separation.  So be it, he thought to himself.  He was as proud, as obstinate as she was.  If she insisted on leaving him, he would not argue with her any longer.  Sternly he said: 

“Then mark my words—­you’ll either send for me or you’ll come back to me.”

“I won’t, I tell you!” she retorted with spirit.

“That’s what you think now.”

“And it’s what I shall always think!” she cried.  “Send for you after last night?  Come back to you and these same conditions?  Never!  Never!”

Once more he softened.  He could not forget in a moment’s anger what they had been to each other.  Appealingly he said: 

“Listen to me for just a minute, dear.  You don’t realize what you are undertaking.  You don’t know what you propose to do.  Please, please don’t do anything that is going to bring you so much misery and unhappiness.  Think it over a little while and then perhaps—­”

“My mind is made up,” she said firmly.

Going to her dressing table, she picked up her hat and placed it on her head.  Again he tried to dissuade her.

“Dearie!”

“I am quite decided, I tell you,” she said firmly, putting on her hat.

“Don’t do it, Virginia, don’t do it!” he cried.  “Remember, if you leave me like this you will have to come to me or it will be—­forever.”

“Then it will be forever!” she said decisively.  “I won’t be degraded and humiliated!  I won’t be told that I was bought and paid for!  You’ve been able to say it up to now, but you’ll never be able to say it again!” Pointing to the jewels she added:  “There they are!  I give them all back to you.”

She stopped and suddenly noticed the rings she was wearing.  They, also, were a present from him.  With a subdued exclamation she muttered: 

“I had almost forgotten these!”

Taking the gems off her fingers one by one, she laid them on the table before him.  Her wedding ring still remained on her finger.  That she hesitated to remove.  She looked from the ring to her husband and made a movement as if about to remove it.  Stafford, in his distress, made a supplicating gesture.

“Don’t do that!” he cried

“Why not?” she replied coldly.  “Since it’s to be forever, why not?”

Taking off the wedding ring she placed it on the table with the others and left the room, closing the door behind her.

After she had gone Stafford went to the table, picked up the ring and softly read the inscription to himself: 

“’From Robert to Virginia, with eternal love!’ Eternal love!” he echoed bitterly to himself.  “What irony!”

Slipping the ring into his pocket he stood for a time as if in deep thought.  Then going to the telephone, he quickly unhooked the receiver.

“Hello!  Give me Madison, 74.  Hurry!  Hurry!  Is this Burley’s Detective Agency?  Is Mr. Burley there?  Oh, is that you, Burley?  This is Robert Stafford.  I want the best man you have to meet me at my office in half an hour.  Yes—­your very best.  What?  No, no!  I don’t want him to watch anyone; I want him to protect someone.  In half an hour, remember.”