Page:Vance--The trey o hearts.djvu/81

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THE COUNTERFEITER
59

"But—what are you thinking of, Rose——"

"Can't you say anything but 'Rose! Rose! Rose!' Is there no other name that means anything to you? It is intolerable! I love you no less than she—rather more—because I hate you, too! Can't you understand——?"

Convulsively she freed herself. "Let me go!" she insisted. "Let me go!"

"Judith!" he cried, stupefied. "But—good Lord! how did you get aboard? Where's Rose?"

"Where you'll not find her again," the woman retorted. "Trust me for that!"

"What do you mean?" Then illumination came. "Do you mean it was you whom I brought aboard last night?"

"Who else?"

"You waylaid her in the hotel, substituted yourself for her!"

"Of course. Why not? When I saw her sleeping there—what else should I think of than to take her place with the man I love? I knew you'd never know the difference. I was mad enough to think I could stand being loved by you in her name! It was only to-day, when I'd had time to think, that I realized how impossible that was!"

A cry from over the stern roused Alan to fresh appreciation of the emergency. With scant consideration he hustled the woman below, and closed