It was not really possible that those people--those well-bred, well-looking people--had seriously contemplated an enormity which seemed to belong to the back pages of history, or that he, Tavernake, had burst through a wall with no weapons in his hand, and had dominated the situation! He sat there steadily thinking.

It was incredible, but it was true! There existed still in his mind some faint doubt as to whether they would really have proceeded to extremities.

Pritchard himself had made light of the whole affair, afterwards had treated it, indeed, as a huge practical joke.

Tavernake, remembering that little group as he had first seen it, remained doubtful.
By degrees, his own personal characteristics began to assert themselves.
He began to wonder how his action would affect his commercial interests.
He had probably made an enemy of this wonderful sister of Beatrice's, the woman who had so completely filled his thoughts during the last few days, the woman, too, who was to have found the money by means of which he was to set his feet upon the first rung of the ladder.

This was a thing, he decided, which must be settled at once.