nd planned, and
stole him from me--with your silly baby face."

"It's not true," wept Ephie. "How could I? I didn't know anything about
you. He ... he never spoke of you."

Louise laughed. "Oh, I can believe that! And you thought, didn't you,
you poor little fool, that he only cared for you? That was why my name
was never mentioned. He didn't need to scheme, and contrive, and lie,
lie abominably, for fear I should come to hear what he was doing!"

"No, indeed," sobbed Ephie. "Never! And you've no right to say such
things of him."

"I no right?" Louise drew herself up. "No right to say what I like of
him? Are you going to tell me what I shall say and what I shan't of the
man I loved?--yes, and who loved me, too, but in a way you couldn't
understand you who think all you have to do is to smile your silly
smile, and spoil another person's life. You didn't know, no, of course
not!--didn't know this was his room as well as mine. Look, his music is
still lying on the piano; that's the chair he sat in, not many days
ago; here," she took Ephie by the shoulder and drew her behind the
screen, where a small door, papered like the wall, gave, direct from
the stair-head, a second entrance to the room--"here's the door he came
in at.--For he came as he liked, whenever he chose."

"It's not true; it can't be true," said Ephie, and raised her
tear-stained face defiantly. "We are engaged--since the summer. He's
coming back to marry me soon."

"He's coming back to marry you!" echoed Louise in a blank voice. "He's
coming back to marry you!"

She moved a few steps away, and stood by the writing-table, looking
dazed, as if she did not understand. Then she laughed.

Ephie cried with renewed bitterness. "I want to go home."

But Maurice did not pay any attention to her. He was watching Louise,
with a growing dismay. For she continued to laugh, in a breathless way,
with a catch in the throat, which made the laughter sound like sobbing.
On his approaching her, she tried to check herself, but without
success. She wiped her lips, and pressed her handkerchief to them, then
took the handkerchief between her teeth and bit it. She crossed to the
window, and stood with her back to the others; but she could not stop
laughing. She went behind the low, broad screen that divided the room,
and sat down on the edge of the bed; but still she had to laugh on. She
came out again into the other part of the room, and saw Maurice pale
and concerned, an