Then like a flash the meaning of his wife's words rushed over the almost stupefied man! God! and he had not known! Tessibel, her new light of coming motherhood, cowered before him like a stricken thing. He sprang forward during Madelene's hesitation and grasped his wife's arm again. He was so furiously angry his tightening fingers brought a cry of pain from her.
"Hush!" he cried peremptorily. "Hush!... You're crazy!... Haven't you any heart?... You've gone mad!"
Madelene shook off his hand.
"Yes, I'm mad half crazy. And you've made me so. Ever since I married you, you've had this girl in your mind morning, noon and night.... Now I know it! Oh, what a fool I was! I--I suppose possibly the next thing we'll know you'll be claiming the--"
Frederick shook her roughly.
"I said to stop it," he gritted. "Come away this minute."
Madelene, crying now, was struggling to pull herself from Frederick's grasp.
"I want to talk to that woman before I go," she screamed in desperation. "Let me go, Fred! I will speak to her."
"You'll not if I can help it," answered Frederick. "Come out of here, I say!"
By main strength he was drawing his wife toward the door. Tess was staring at them as if they were creatures from another world.
"I'm sorry," Frederick said directly over Madelene's head to her. "Dreadfully sorry."
"Sorry!" shrieked Madelene. "Sorry for such a woman! Look what you've done to me, both of you!" She wrenched herself from the strong fingers and flung back to the squatter girl. "I want to know if my husband is the father--"
Frederick had hold of her once more. The anger in his white face was terrible to see.
"If you speak to her again," he said murderously, "I'll--I'll--"
"I suppose you'll kill me," shrilled his wife. "Well, go ahead! The only way you'll ever get her will be when I'm dead!" Then she thrust her white working face close to his. "If she won't speak, will you? You're my husband, and I find you here with this--this--.... Are you the father of her baby?"
"No," said Frederick, dropping his eyes. "No, of course not!"
Tessibel bent her head to receive the last brutal stroke he had to give. She moved but uttered no sound.
"Well, do you love her then?" demanded Madelene.
And Frederick, not daring to look at Tess, repeated, "No, of course not.... Don't be a fool!"
"Then, what do you want of him, girl?" Madelene cried hoarsely to Tessibel. "You've heard what he said."
Tess thought she was going to die. All the awful hurt which had lain dormant for so many weeks rose up with ten thousand times the vigor. It was as if Heaven had belched out flames to consume her, and she knew there was no escape from this thing that had come upon her. Frederick had not only repudiated his love for her, but his baby too. She threw back her curls with a proud gesture.