using to induce Camilla to marry him--him whom, on her own statement,
she did not love? And could Louis Ravengar be in earnest, after all,
with his savage threats?




CHAPTER IX

'WHICH?'


'And when I decide, the thing is as good as done.' Those proud, vain
words of his, spoken to Louis Ravengar with all the arrogance of a man
who had never met Fate like a lion in the path, often recurred to Hugo's
mind during the next few weeks. And their futility exasperated him. He
had decided to win Camilla, and therefore Camilla was as good as won!
Only, she had been married on the very morning of those boastful words
by license at a registry-office to Francis Tudor. The strange admixture
of orange-blossom and registry-office was not the only strange thing
about the wedding. It was clear, for example, that Tudor must have
arranged the preliminaries of the ceremony before the bride's consent
had been obtained--unless, indeed, Camilla had garbled the truth to Hugo
on the previous night; and Hugo did not believe this to be possible.

Albert Shawn had brought the news hour by hour to Hugo.

After the wedding, the pair drove to Mr. Tudor's flat, where Senior
Polycarp paid them a brief visit.