So I got Richard to go in—­that was easy; and then it struck me that the crowning triumph of the whole thing would be to get you to come in yourself.  That would be showing you, I thought!  But you wouldn’t:  you put me in my place—­and I was angry—­I never was so angry in my life, and I showed it.”  Tears came into her voice.  “Oh, Wade,” she said, softly, “it was the very wildness of my anger that showed what I really felt.”

“About—­about me?” His incredulity struggled with his hope.  He stepped close to her.

“What an awful fool I’ve been,” she sighed.

“Why, I thought I could show you I was your equal!  And look what it’s got me into, Wade!”

“What has it got you into, Cora?”

“One thing worth while:  I can see what I really am when I try to meet you on your own ground.”  She bent her head, humbly, then lifted it, and spoke rapidly.  “All the rest is dreadful, Wade.  I had a distrust of Corliss from the first; I didn’t like him, but I took him up because I thought he offered the chance to show you what I could do.  Well, it’s got me into a most horrible mess.  He’s a swindler, a rank——­”

“By George!” Wade shouted.  “Cora, you’re talking out now like a real woman.”

“Listen.  I got horribly tired of him after a week or so, but I’d promised to help him and I didn’t break with him; but yesterday I just couldn’t stand him any longer and I told him so, and sent him away.  Then, this morning, an old man came to the house, a man named Pryor, who knew him and knew his record, and he told me all about him.”  She narrated the interview.

“But you had sent Corliss away first?” Wade asked, sharply.

“Yesterday, I tell you.”  She set her hand on the little man’s shoulder.  “Wade, there’s bound to be a scandal over all this.  Even if Corliss gets away without being arrested and tried, the whole thing’s bound to come out.  I’ll be the laughing-stock of the town—­and I deserve to be:  it’s all through having been ridiculous idiot enough to try and impress you with my business brilliancy.  Well, I can’t stand it!”

“Cora, do you——­” He faltered.

She leaned toward him, her hand still on his shoulder, her exquisite voice lowered, and thrilling in its sweetness.  “Wade, I’m through playing.  I’ve come to you at last because you’ve utterly conquered me.  If you’ll take me away to-day, I’ll marry you to-day!”

He gave a shout that rang again from the walls.

“Do you want me?” she whispered; then smiled upon his rapture indulgently.

Rapture it was.  With the word “marry,” his incredulity sped forever.  But for a time he was incoherent:  he leaped and hopped, spoke broken bits of words, danced fragmentarily, ate her with his eyes, partially embraced her, and finally kissed her timidly.

“Such a wedding we’ll have!” he shouted, after that.

“No!” she said sharply.  “We’ll be married by a Justice of the Peace and not a soul there but us, and it will be now, or it never will be!  If you don’t——­”