you think Monica--? You know her better; I'm
sure you do!'

'Any human being may commit a crime,' said the other impatiently,
exasperated by what seemed to be merely new evidence against Barfoot.
'Who knows any one well enough to say that a charge _must_ be
unfounded?'

Miss Madden began to sob.

'I'm afraid that is true. But my sister--my dear sister--'

'I didn't want to distress you. Do command yourself, and let us talk
about it calmly.'

'Yes--I will--I shall be so glad to talk about it with you. Oh, if I
could persuade her to return to her husband! He is willing to receive
her. I meet him very often on Clapham Common, and--We are living at his
expense. When Monica had been with me in my old lodgings for about a
week he took these new rooms for us, and Monica consented to remove.
But she won't hear of going back to live with him. He has offered to
let us have the house to ourselves, but it's no use. He writes to her,
but she won't reply. Do you know that he has taken a house at
Clevedon--a beautiful house? They were to go to it in a week or two,
and Alice and I would have gone to share it with them--then this
dreadful thing happened. And Mr. Widdowson doesn't even insist on her
telling him what she keeps secret. He is willing to take her back under
any circumstances. And she is so ill--'

Virginia broke off, as if there were something more that she did not
venture to impart. Her cheeks coloured, and she looked distressfully
about the room.

'Seriously ill, do you mean?' inquired Rhoda, with difficulty softening
her voice.

'She gets up each day, but I'm often afraid that--She has had fainting
fits--'

Rhoda gazed at the speaker with pitiless scrutiny.

'What can have caused this? Is it the result of her being falsely
accused?'

'Partly that. But--'

Suddenly Virginia rose, stepped to Rhoda's side, and whispered a word
or two. Rhoda turned pale; her eyes glared fiercely.

'And _still_ you believe her innocent?'

'She has sworn to me that she is innocent. She says that she has a
proof of it which I shall see some day--and her husband also. A
presentiment has fixed itself in her mind that she can't live, and
before the end she will tell everything.'

'Her husband knows of this, of course--of what you have told me?'

'No. She has forbidden me to say anything--and how could I, Miss Nunn?
She has made me promise solemnly that he shall not be told. I haven't
even told Alice. But she will know very s