“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？“