r commands.

'Tell me,' resumed she, 'on what grounds you believe these things against
me; who told you; and what did they say?'

I paused a moment. She met my eye as unflinchingly as if her bosom had
been steeled with conscious innocence. She was resolved to know the
worst, and determined to dare it too. 'I can crush that bold spirit,'
thought I. But while I secretly exulted in my power, I felt disposed to
dally with my victim like a cat. Showing her the book that I still held,
in my hand, and pointing to the name on the fly-leaf, but fixing my eye
upon her face, I asked,--'Do you know that gentleman?'

'Of course I do,' replied she; and a sudden flush suffused her
features--whether of shame or anger I could not tell: it rather resembled
the latter. 'What next, sir?'

'How long is it since you saw him?'

'Who gave you the right to catechize me on this or any other subject?'

'Oh, no one!--it's quite at your option whether to answer or not. And
now, let me ask--have you heard what has lately befallen this friend of
yours?--because, if you have not--'

'I will not be insulted, Mr. Markham!' cried she, almost infuriated at my
manner. 'So you had better leave the house at once, if you came only for
that.'

'I did not come to insult you: I came to hear your explanation.'

'And I tell you I won't give it!' retorted she, pacing the room in a
state of strong excitement, with her hands clasped tightly together,
breathing short, and flashing fires of indignation from her eyes. 'I
will not condescend to explain myself to one that can make a jest of such
horrible suspicions, and be so easily led to entertain them.'

'I do not make a jest of them, Mrs. Graham,' returned I, dropping at once
my tone of taunting sarcasm. 'I heartily wish I could find them a
jesting matter. And as to being easily led to suspect, God only knows
what a blind, incredulous fool I have hitherto been, perseveringly
shutting my eyes and stopping my ears against everything that threatened
to shake my confidence in you, till proof itself confounded my
infatuation!'

'What proof, sir?'

'Well, I'll tell you. You remember that evening when I was here last?'

'I do.'

'Even then you dropped some hints that might have opened the eyes of a
wiser man; but they had no such effect upon me: I went on trusting and
believing, hoping against hope, and adoring where I could not comprehend.
It so happened, however, that after I left you I turned