She is engaged to Mr. Garman."
"She is to marry Garman?" asked Roger slowly.
"Yes."
"Then if it's settled--how can I interfere?"
"You can't. I will not permit it. And if you could, what could you
offer her? You've no money, no position, no influence. You're nobody.
She is Annette Fairclothe. She is the last hope of the family. I have
built our whole future upon her. There will be no interference with my
plans."
"She has a father----"
"Pooh! That doddering ass! Do you think it is he who has enabled us
to keep our position in Washington? And now he is going into his
dotage, and the big men won't dare to use him much longer. I'm not
blind, Mr. Payne; I can see as well as Garman. Let me speak seriously
to you: Your presence here spells danger to Annette--serious danger."
"Why?"
"Because, rather than risk failure for my plans, I will not stop at
anything in the world."
"Why in the world should you threaten me, Mrs. Livingstone?"
Mrs. Livingstone's lips parted in a terrible smile as she walked away.
"You? Why, I was not thinking of you at all."
Above the Egret a crippled white ibis, with a broken leg impeding its
flight, was flying clumsily across the river. Close above it, with
deadly intent, sailed a brown hawk. The hawk struck, but in spite of
its handicap the ibis swerved in time to escape the deadly talons.
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