he episode to which you refer," he said.

"Indeed!" said Aunt Philippa. "And may I ask how long you have been aware
of it?"

He hesitated momentarily. "Is that material?"

"I think it is," she rejoined. "If Chris has brought herself even at the
eleventh hour to be open with you, none will rejoice more sincerely than
I. It has always been my principle that wives should have no secrets from
their husbands. But, knowing her as I do, I question very much if this
can be the case. I have remonstrated with her myself upon the subject,
but she refused so stubbornly to listen to me that I cannot but feel that
the time has come for me to take my own measures. I should not be doing
my duty otherwise. Painful as it is to me, I feel it incumbent upon me to
tell you the truth. Now, my dear Trevor, are you aware that there has
to-day been a scene between your wife and your secretary which I can only
describe as--a love passage? Has she confessed this to you? Because, if
not, you must no longer remain in ignorance of the true state of affairs.
Chris has deceived me throughout in the most flagrant manner. Had I
known--as I now know--that the man who caused the Valpre scandal and your
secretary, Bertrand de Montville, a criminal exile living upon your
charity, were one and the same person, I would never have permitted you
to marry my niece and expose her afresh to a temptation which she had
already shown herself unable to resist."

Her last words were somewhat hurried, for Mordaunt had risen to his feet,
and there was that in his eyes that warned her that if she paused for a
single instant they would never be uttered at all. And Aunt Philippa
never liked to leave a task unfinished. That which she undertook she
invariably carried through undeviatingly, whatever the cost, and
notwithstanding any adverse circumstances which might arise during its
accomplishment.

She finished her sentence therefore, and then resigned herself to the
martyrdom of being grossly misunderstood.

For that he utterly misread her motives was apparent from his very
expression, even before he said with extreme deliberation: "Mrs. Forest,
you will oblige me very greatly by not pursuing this subject any further.
As I said to you before, Chris is in my keeping now, and it will be my
first care to see that no harm comes to her. As to my secretary, he has
left me for good, and I doubt if I ever see him again."

"I see," said Aunt Philippa. "You have quarrelled with