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Oppenheim, E. Phillips (Edward Phillips), 1866-1946

"The Yellow Crayon"


I am his kinsman. He never forgets that. Come, throw aside this
restlessness. I will tell you how to deal with Brott, and the
publicity, after all, will be nothing. We will go abroad directly
afterwards."
"Have you finished?" she asked.
"You will be reasonable!" he begged.
"Reasonable!" She turned upon him with flashing eyes. "I wonder
how you ever dared to imagine that I could tolerate you for one
moment as a lover or a husband. Wipe it out of your mind once and
for all. You are repellent to me. Positively the only wish I have
in connection with you is never to see your face again. As for my
duty, I have done it. My conscience is clear. I shall leave this
house to-day."
"I hope," the Prince said softly, "that you will do nothing rash!"
"In an hour," she said, "I shall be at the Carlton with my husband.
I will trust to him to protect me from you."
The Prince shook his head.
"You talk rashly," he said. "You do not think. You are forbidden
to leave this house. You are forbidden to join your husband."
She laughed scornfully, but underneath was a tremor of uneasiness.
"You summoned me from America," she said, "and I came ... I was
forced to leave my husband without even a word of farewell. I did
it! You set me a task--I have accomplished it. I claim that I
have kept my bond, that I have worked out my own freedom.


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