“IforbidyourmarriagetoGeoffreyDelamayn!Iinsistonhisperformingthepromisehegaveme，tomakemehiswife!Ihavegotithereinhisownwords，inhisownwriting。Onhissoul，heswearsittome——hewillredeemhispledge。Hismistress，didyousay？Hiswife，Mrs。Glenarm，beforetheweekisout!“
Inthosewildwordsshecastbackthetaunt——withtheletterheldintriumphinherhand。
Dauntedforthemomentbythedoubtnowliterallyforcedonher，thatAnnemightreallyhavetheclaimonGeoffreywhichsheadvanced，Mrs。Glenarmansweredneverthelesswiththeobstinacyofawomanbroughttobay——witharesolutionnottobeconvincedbyconvictionitself。
“Iwon’tgivehimup!“shecried。“Yourletterisaforgery。Youhavenoproof。Iwon’t，Iwon’t，Iwon’tgivehimup!“sherepeated，withtheimpotentiterationofanangrychild。
Annepointeddisdainfullytotheletterthatsheheld。“Hereishispledgedandwrittenword，“shesaid。“WhileIlive，youwillneverbehiswife。“
“Ishallbehiswifethedayaftertherace。IamgoingtohiminLondon——towarnhimagainstYou!“
“YouwillfindmeinLondon，beforeyou——withthisinmyhand。Doyouknowhiswriting？“
Shehelduptheletter，open。Mrs。Glenarm’shandflewoutwiththestealthyrapidityofacat’spaw，toseizeanddestroyit。
Quickasshewas，herrivalwasquickerstill。Foraninstanttheyfacedeachotherbreathless——onewiththeletterheldbehindher；onewithherhandstillstretchedout。
Atthesamemoment——beforeawordmorehadpassedbetweenthem——theglassdooropened；andJuliusDelamaynappearedintheroom。
HeaddressedhimselftoAnne。
“Wedecided，ontheterrace，“hesaid，quietly，“thatyoushouldspeaktoMrs。Glenarm，ifMrs。Glenarmwishedit。Doyouthinkitdesirablethattheinterviewshouldbecontinuedanylonger？“
Anne’sheaddroopedonherbreast。Thefieryangerinherwasquenchedinaninstant。
“Ihavebeencruellyprovoked，Mr。Delamayn，“sheanswered。“ButIhavenorighttopleadthat。“Shelookedupathimforamoment。Thehottearsofshamegatheredinhereyes，andfellslowlyoverhercheeks。Shebentherheadagain，andhidthemfromhim。“TheonlyatonementIcanmake，“shesaid，“istoaskyourpardon，andtoleavethehouse。“
Insilence，sheturnedawaytothedoor。Insilence，JuliusDelamaynpaidherthetriflingcourtesyofopeningitforher。
Shewentout。
Mrs。Glenarm’sindignation——suspendedforthemoment——transferreditselftoJulius。
“IfIhavebeenentrappedintoseeingthatwoman，withyourapproval，“shesaid，haughtily，“Ioweittomyself，Mr。
Delamayn，tofollowherexample，andtoleaveyourhouse。“
“Iauthorizedhertoaskyouforaninterview，Mrs。Glenarm。IfshehaspresumedonthepermissionthatIgaveher，Isincerelyregretit，andIbegyoutoacceptmyapologies。Atthesametime，Imayventuretoadd，indefenseofmyconduct，thatI
thoughther——andthinkherstill——awomantobepitiedmorethantobeblamed。“
“Tobepitieddidyousay？“askedMrs。Glenarm，doubtfulwhetherherearshadnotdeceivedher。
“Tobepitied，“repeatedJulius。
“_You_mayfinditconvenient，Mr。Delamayn，toforgetwhatyourbrotherhastoldusaboutthatperson。_I_happentorememberit。“
“SodoI，Mrs。Glenarm。But，withmyexperienceofGeoffrey——“Hehesitated，andranhisfingersnervouslyoverthestringsofhisviolin。
“Youdon’tbelievehim？“saidMrs。Glenarm。
Juliusdeclinedtoadmitthathedoubtedhisbrother’sword，totheladywhowasabouttobecomehisbrother’swife。
“Idon’tquitegothatlength，“hesaid。“IfinditdifficulttoreconcilewhatGeoffreyhastoldus，withMissSilvester’smannerandappearance——“
“Herappearance!“criedMrs。Glenarm，inatransportofastonishmentanddisgust。“_Her_appearance!Oh，themen!Ibegyourpardon——Ioughttohaverememberedthatthereisnoaccountingfortastes。Goon——praygoon!“
“Shallwecomposeourselveswithalittlemusic？“suggestedJulius。
“Iparticularlyrequestyouwillgoon，“answeredMrs。Glenarm，emphatically。“Youfindit’impossibletoreconcile’——“
“Isaid’difficult。’“
“Oh，verywell。DifficulttoreconcilewhatGeoffreytoldus，withMissSilvester’smannerandappearance。Whatnext？Youhadsomethingelsetosay，whenIwassorudeastointerruptyou。
Whatwasit？“
“Onlythis，“saidJulius。“Idon’tfinditeasytounderstandSirPatrickLundie’sconductinpermittingMr。Brinkworthtocommitbigamywithhisniece。“
“Waitaminute!ThemarriageofthathorriblewomantoMr。
Brinkworthwasaprivatemarriage。Ofcourse，SirPatrickknewnothingaboutit!“
Juliusownedthatthismightbepossible，andmadeasecondattempttoleadtheangryladybacktothepiano。Useless，oncemore!Thoughsheshrankfromconfessingittoherself，Mrs。
Glenarm’sbeliefinthegenuinenessofherlover’sdefensehadbeenshaken。ThetonetakenbyJulius——moderateasitwas——revivedthefirststartlingsuspicionofthecredibilityofGeoffrey’sstatementwhichAnne’slanguageandconducthadforcedonMrs。Glenarm。Shedroppedintothenearestchair，andputherhandkerchieftohereyes。“YoualwayshatedpoorGeoffrey，“shesaid，withaburstoftears。“Andnowyou’redefaminghimtome!“
Juliusmanagedheradmirably。Onthepointofansweringherseriously，hecheckedhimself。“IalwayshatedpoorGeoffrey，“herepeated，withasmile。“Yououghttobethelastpersontosaythat，Mrs。Glenarm!IbroughthimallthewayfromLondonexpresslytointroducehimto_you。_“
“ThenIwishyouhadlefthiminLondon!“retortedMrs。Glenarm，shiftingsuddenlyfromtearstotemper。“IwasahappywomanbeforeImetyourbrother。Ican’tgivehimup!“sheburstout，shiftingbackagainfromtempertotears。“Idon’tcareifhe_has_deceivedme。Iwon’tletanotherwomanhavehim!I_will_
behiswife!“ShethrewherselftheatricallyonherkneesbeforeJulius。“Oh，_do_helpmetofindoutthetruth!“shesaid。“Oh，Julius，pityme!Iamsofondofhim!“
Therewasgenuinedistressinherface，therewastruefeelinginhervoice。Whowouldhavebelievedthattherewerereservesofmercilessinsolenceandheartlesscrueltyinthiswoman——andthattheyhadbeenlavishlypouredoutonafallensisternotfiveminutessince？
“IwilldoallIcan，“saidJulius，raisingher。“Letustalkofitwhenyouaremorecomposed。Tryalittlemusic，“herepeated，“justtoquietyournerves。“
“Would_you_likemetoplay？“askedMrs。Glenarm，becomingamodeloffemininedocilityatamoment’snotice。
JuliusopenedtheSonatasofMozart，andshoulderedhisviolin。
“Let’strytheFifteenth，“hesaid，placingMrs。Glenarmatthepiano。“WewillbeginwiththeAdagio。Ifevertherewasdivinemusicwrittenbymortalman，thereitis!“
Theybegan。AtthethirdbarMrs。Glenarmdroppedanote——andthebowofJuliuspausedshudderingonthestrings。
“Ican’tplay!“shesaid。“Iamsoagitated；Iamsoanxious。How_am_Itofindoutwhetherthatwretchisreallymarriedornot？
WhocanIask？Ican’tgotoGeoffreyinLondon——thetrainerswon’tletmeseehim。Ican’tappealtoMr。Brinkworthhimself——I
amnotevenacquaintedwithhim。Whoelseisthere？Dothink，andtellme!“
TherewasbutonechanceofmakingherreturntotheAdagio——thechanceofhittingonasuggestionwhichwouldsatisfyandquiether。Juliuslaidhisviolinonthepiano，andconsideredthequestionbeforehimcarefully。
“Therearethewitnesses，“hesaid。“IfGeoffrey’sstoryistobedependedon，thelandladyandthewaiterattheinncanspeaktothefacts。“
“Lowpeople!“objectedMrs。Glenarm。“PeopleIdon’tknow。Peoplewhomighttakeadvantageofmysituation，andbeinsolenttome。“
Juliusconsideredoncemore；andmadeanothersuggestion。Withthefatalingenuityofinnocence，hehitontheideaofreferringMrs。GlenarmtonolessapersonthanLadyLundieherself!
“ThereisourgoodfriendatWindygates，“hesaid。“SomewhisperofthemattermayhavereachedLadyLundie’sears。Itmaybealittleawkwardtocallonherifshe_has_heardanythingatthetimeofaseriousfamilydisaster。Youarethebestjudgeofthat，however。AllIcandoistothrowoutthenotion。
Windygatesisn’tveryfaroff——andsomethingmightcomeofit。
Whatdoyouthink？“