You are still engaged to Miss Garland ?" Roderick frowned darkly, but assented.
"It would give you pleasure, then, to see her ?" Roderick turned away and for some moments answered nothing.

"Pleasure!" he said at last, huskily.

"Call it pain." "I regard you as a sick man," Rowland continued.

"In such a case Miss Garland would say that her place was at your side." Roderick looked at him some time askance, mistrustfully.

"Is this a deep-laid snare ?" he asked slowly.
Rowland had come back with all his patience rekindled, but these words gave it an almost fatal chill.