Could Lady Janet transfer to the woman who was really her relative
by marriage the affection which she had given to the woman who had
pretended to be her relative? No! All the right in the world would not
put the true Grace into the false Grace's vacant place. The qualities
by which Mercy had won Lady Janet's love were the qualities which were
Mercy's won. Lady Janet could do rigid justice--but hers was not the
heart to give itself to a stranger (and to give itself unreservedly) a
second time. Grace Roseberry would be formally acknowledged--and there
it would end.

Was there hope in this new view?

Yes! There was the false hope of making the inevitable atonement by some
other means than by the confession of the fraud.

What had Grace Roseberry actually lost by the wrong done to her? She
had lost the salary of Lady Janet's "companion and reader." Say that she
wanted money, Mercy had her savings from the generous allowance made
to her by Lady Janet; Mercy could offer money. Or say that she wanted
employment, Mercy's interest with Lady Janet could offer employment,
could offer anything Grace might ask for, if she would only come to
terms.

Invigorated by the new hope, Mercy rose excitedly, weary of inaction in
the empty room. She, who but a few minutes since had shuddered at the
thought of their meeting again, was now eager to devise a means of
finding her way privately to an interview with Grace. It should be done
without loss of time--on that very day, if possible; by the next day at
latest. She looked round her mechanically, pondering how to reach the
end in view. Her eyes rested by chance on the door of the billiard-room.

Was it fancy? or did she really see the door first open a little, then
suddenly and softly close again?

Was it fancy? or did she really hear, at the same moment, a sound behind
her as of persons speaking in the conservatory?

She paused; and, looking back in that direction, listened intently. The
sound--if she had really heard it--was no longer audible. She advanced
toward the billiard-room to set her first doubt at rest. She stretched
out her hand to open the door, when the voices (recognizable now as the
voices of two men) caught her ear once more.

This time she was able to distinguish the words that were spoken.

"Any further orders, sir?" inquired one of the men.

"Nothing more," replied the other.

Mercy started, and faintly flushed, as the second voice answered the
first. She