"My lord," she cried, "you cannot do this thing! You cannot do it!" But instead of moving him to generosity, by those very words she steeled his heart against it, and proved to him that, after all, his potentialities for evil were strong enough to enable him to do the very thing she said he could not.

His brow grew black as midnight; his dark eyes raked her face, and saw the agony of apprehension for her lover written there.

He drew breath, hissing and audible, glanced once at Caryll; then: "A moment!" said he.
He strode to the door and called the footmen, then turned again.
"Mr.Caryll," he said in a formal voice, "will you give yourself the trouble of waiting in the ante-room?
I need to consider upon this matter." Mr.Caryll, conceiving that it was with his mother that Rotherby intended to consider, rose instantly.

"I would remind you, Rotherby, that time is pressing," said he.
"I shall not keep you long," was Rotherby's cold reply, and Mr.Caryll went out.
"What now, Charles ?" asked his mother.

"Is this child to remain ?" "It is the child that is to remain," said his lordship.