Falconer nodded.

"The treaty that enabled you to hand over so many thousand square miles

to the government in exchange for a knighthood."

"No," said Sir Stephen, simply. "I got that for another business; but I

daresay the other thing helped. It doesn't matter. Then I--I married. I

married the daughter of a man of position, a girl who--who loved and

trusted me; who knew nothing of the past you and I know; and as I would

rather have died than that she should have known anything of it, I--"

"Conveniently and decently buried it," put in Falconer. "Oh, yes, I can

see the whole thing! You had blossomed out from Black Steve--"

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Sir Stephen rose and took a step towards the door, then remembered that

he had shut it and sank down again, his face white as ashes, his lips

quivering.

--"To Sir Stephen Orme, the African millionaire, the high and lofty

English gentleman with his head full of state secrets, and his safe

full of foreign loans; Sir Stephen Orme, the pioneer, the empire

maker--Oh, yes, I can understand how naturally you would bury the

past--as you had buried your old pal and partner. The dainty and

delicate Lady Orme was to hear nothing--" Sir Stephen rose and

stretched out his hand half warningly half imploringly.

"She's dead, Falconer!" he said, hoarsely. "Don't--don't speak of her!

Leave her out, for God's sake!"

Falconer shrugged his shoulders.

"And this boy of yours--he's as ignorant as her ladyship was, of

course?"

Sir Stephen inclined his head.

"Yes," he said, huskily. "He--he knows nothing. He thinks me--what the

world sees me, what all the world, saving you, Falconer, thinks me: one

who has risen from humble but honest poverty to--what I am. You have

seen him, you can understand what I feel; that I'd rather die than that

he should know--that he should think badly of me. Falconer, I have made

a clean breast of it--I'm in your hands. I'm--I'm at your mercy. I

appeal to you"--he stretched out his white, shapely hands--"you have a

child of your own: she's as dear to you as mine is to me--I've watched

you to-night, and I've seen you look at her as she moved about and

talked and sang, with the look that my eyes wear when they rest on my

boy. I am at your mercy--not only mine, but my son's future--"

He wiped the sweat from his forehead and drew a long breath.




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