me," she answered. "Wait for me in
that room."

She pointed to the door that led into the dining-room. Julian hesitated.

"You promise to let me know it if I can be of the smallest service to
you?" he said.

"Yes, yes!" She followed him as he withdrew, and added, rapidly, in a
whisper, "Leave the door ajar!"

He made no answer. As she returned to Horace he entered the dining-room.
The one concession he could make to her he did make. He closed the door
so noiselessly that not even her quick hearing could detect that he had
shut it.

Mercy spoke to Horace, without waiting to let him speak first.

"I have promised you an explanation of my conduct," she said, in accents
that trembled a little in spite of herself. "I am ready to perform my
promise."

"I have a question to ask you before you do that," he rejoined. "Can you
speak the truth?"

"I am waiting to speak the truth."

"I will give you an opportunity. Are you or are you not in love with
Julian Gray?"

"You ought to be ashamed to ask the question!"

"Is that your only answer?"

"I have never been unfaithful to you, Horace, even in thought. If I had
_not_ been true to you, should I feel my position as you see I feel it
now?"

He smiled bitterly. "I have my own opinion of your fidelity and of his
honor," he said. "You couldn't even send him into the next room without
whispering to him first. Never mind that now. At least you know that
Julian Gray is in love with you."

"Mr. Julian Gray has never breathed a word of it to me."

"A man can show a woman that he loves her, without saying it in words."

Mercy's power of endurance began to fail her. Not even Grace Roseberry
had spoken more insultingly to her of Julian than Horace was speaking
now. "Whoever says that of Mr. Julian Gray, lies!" she answered, warmly.

"Then Lady Janet lies," Horace retorted.

"Lady Janet never said it! Lady Janet is incapable of saying it!"

"She may not have said it in so many words; but she never denied it when
_I_ said it. I reminded her of the time when Julian Gray first heard
from me that I was going to marry you: he was so overwhelmed that he was
barely capable of being civil to me. Lady Janet was present, and could
not deny it. I asked her if she had observed, since then, signs of
a confidential understanding between you two. She could not deny the
signs. I asked if she had ever found you two together. She could not
deny that she had found you together, this very d