"In payment for my poor friendship he has given me this
magnificent thing of gold and jewels, the finest I ever saw. I
never counted upon such gratitude. It is too much, and yet a man
cannot refuse the gift of his friend and not seem ungracious, can
he? Somewhere in the Orient they have a custom of exchanging
gifts. No man may accept a thing of value without making adequate
return, and it has always struck me as a wise practice." He turned
full upon Kirk for the first time since he had begun speaking, and
his voice rose a tone as he said: "I can't let the obligation rest
entirely upon me. We have been friends, Anthony, and I am going to
give you something in return which I have prized highly; it would
be counted of great value by some." Once more he paused and drew
his lips back in that grimace of mockery--it could no longer be
termed a smile. "It is this--I am going to give you--my wife. You
have had her from the first, and now she is yours." For one
frightful moment there was no sound; even the men's breathing was
hushed, and they sat slack-jawed, stunned, half-minded to believe
this some hideous, incredible jest. But the maniacal light in
Cortlandt's eyes, and Anthony's chalk-white, frozen countenance
soon showed them the truth.
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