"And I think--you will _both_ understand why I made this long, tiresome
journey to Touggourt."
"There is no reason why Miss Ray should understand," said Stephen
quickly. "It can't concern her in the least. On your own account it
would have been better if you had waited for me in London. But it's too
late to think of that now. I will go with you into the house."
"No," Margot answered. "Not yet. And you're not to put on such a tone
with me--as if I'd done something wrong. I haven't! We're engaged, and I
have a perfect right to come here, and find out what you've been doing
while I was at the other side of the world. You promised to meet me at
Liverpool--and instead, you were here--with _her_. You never even sent
me word. Yet you're surprised that I came on to Algiers. Of course, when
I was _there_, I heard everything--or what I didn't hear, I guessed. You
hadn't bothered to hide your tracks. I don't suppose you so much as
thought of me--poor me, who went to Canada for your sake really. Yes!
I'll tell you why I went now. I was afraid if I didn't go, a man who was
in love with me there--he's in love with me now and always will be, for
that matter!--would come and kill you. He used to threaten that he'd
shoot any one I might marry, if I dared throw him over; and he's the
kind who keeps his word. So I didn't want to throw him over. I went
myself, and stayed in his mother's house, and argued and pleaded with
him, till he'd promised to be good and let me be happy.
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