When he looked at his watch it was nine o'clock.

"I must go," he said, hastily rising; "it would hardly do for me to be
found here!"

"What do you mean?" she asked in surprise.

"What do you suppose your husband would say if he came home and found
me here?"

Evelyn flushed angrily.

"My husband has confidence in me," she answered proudly. "I don't know
what he thinks of you, but I know what he thinks of me, and it would
make no difference what company he found me in, he would never doubt
me. I trust him in the same way. I would believe his word against that
of the whole world."

She held her handsome head high when she said this.

Rance Belmont looked at her with a dull glow in his black eyes.

"I hope you are right," he said, watching the color coming in her face.

"I am right," she said after a pause, daring which she had looked at
him defiantly. He was wise enough to see he had made a false move and
had lost ground in her regard.

"I think you had better go," she said at last. "I do not like that
insinuation of yours that your presence here might be misconstrued.