Alpha Book

"
"What concerned you?"
"The chance of inheritance--the risk of the taint--of transmitting it.
Her father's erratic brilliancy became more than eccentricity before I
knew him. I would have told you that had I dreamed that you ever could
have thought of marrying Alixe Varian. But how could I know you would
meet her out there in the Orient! It was--your cable to us was like a
thunderbolt. . . . And when she--she left you so suddenly--Phil, dear--I
_feared_ the true reason--the only possible reason that could be
responsible for such an insane act."
"What was the truth about her father?" he said doggedly. "He was
eccentric; was he ever worse than that?"
"The truth was that he became mentally irresponsible before his death."
"You _know_ this?"
"Alixe told me when we were schoolgirls. And for days she was haunted
with the fear of what might one day be her inheritance. That is all I
know, Phil."
He nodded and for a while made some pretence of eating, but presently
leaned back and looked at his sister out of dazed eyes.


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