ned
forward over the piano, and fixed her eyes in unconcealed scrutiny on
Anne's face. The violent temper, so often found in combination with the
weak nature, began to show itself in her rising color, and her lowering
brow. "How do _you_ know what the person wrote?" she asked. "How do
_you_ know that the correspondence has passed into other hands? Who are
you?" Before Anne could answer her, she sprang to her feet, electrified
by a new idea. "The man who wrote to me spoke of something else besides
a correspondence. He spoke of a woman. I have found you out!" she
exclaimed, with a burst of jealous fury. "_You_ are the woman!"

Anne rose on her side, still in firm possession of her self-control.

"Mrs. Glenarm," she said, calmly, "I warn--no, I entreat you--not to
take that tone with me. Compose yourself; and I promise to satisfy you
that you are more interested than you are willing to believe in what I
have still to say. Pray bear with me for a little longer. I admit that
you have guessed right. I own that I am the miserable woman who has been
ruined and deserted by Geoffrey Delamayn."

"It's false!" cried Mrs. Glenarm. "You wretch! Do you come to _me_ with
your trumped-up story? What does Julius Delamayn mean by exposing me
to this?" Her indignation at finding herself in the same room with Anne
broke its way through, not the restraints only, but the common decencies
of politeness. "I'll ring for the servants!" she said. "I'll have you
turned out of the house."

She tried to cross the fire-place to ring the bell. Anne, who was
standing nearest to it, stepped forward at the same moment. Without
saying a word, she motioned with her hand to the other woman to stand
back. There was a pause. The two waited, with their eyes steadily fixed
on one another--each with her resolution laid bare to the other's view.
In a moment more, the finer nature prevailed. Mrs. Glenarm drew back a
step in silence.

"Listen to me," said Anne.

"Listen to you?" repeated Mrs. Glenarm. "You have no right to be in this
house. You have no right to force yourself in here. Leave the room!"

Anne's patience--so firmly and admirably preserved thus far--began to
fail her at last.

"Take care, Mrs. Glenarm!" she said, still struggling with herself.
"I am not naturally a patient woman. Trouble has done much to tame my
temper--but endurance has its limits. You have reached the limits of
mine. I have a claim to be heard--and after what you have said to