, who had drunk a great deal of champagne, made
frantic love to her. She escaped from him with difficulty, in a passion
of loathing and terror, and rushed in-doors, where she found Lady Wing
in the gallery of the old house, on the first floor, walking up and down
in a jealous fury. Juliet Sparling burst in upon her with the reproaches
of a woman driven to bay, threatening to go at once to her husband and
make a clean breast of the whole history of their miserable
acquaintance. She was practically beside herself--already, as the sequel
showed, mortally ill, worn out by remorse and sleeplessness, and
quivering under the insult which had been offered her. Lady Wing
recovered her own self-possession under the stimulus of Juliet's
breakdown. She taunted her in the cruelest way, accused her of being the
temptress in the case of Sir Francis, and of simulating a hypocritical
indignation in order to save herself with her husband, and finally
charged her with the robbery of her sister's money, declaring that as
soon as daylight came she would take steps to set the criminal law in
motion, and so protect both herself and her husband from any charge such
a woman might bring against them. The threat, of course, was mere bluff.
But Mrs. Sparling, in her frenzy and her ignorance, took it for truth.
Finally, the fierce creature came up to her, snatching at a brooch in
the bosom of her dress, and crying out in the vilest language that it
was Sir Francis's gift. Juliet, pushed up against the panelling of the
gallery, caught at a dagger belonging to a trophy of Eastern arms
displayed on the wall, close to her hand, and struck wildly at her
tormentor. The dagger pierced Lady Wing's left breast--she was in
evening dress and _decolletee_; it penetrated to the heart, and she fell
dead at Juliet's feet as her husband entered the gallery. Juliet dropped
the dagger; and as Sir Francis rushed to his wife, she fled shrieking up
the stairs--her white dress covered with blood--to her own room, falling
unconscious before she reached it. She was carried to her room by the
servants--the police were sent for--and the rest--or most of the
rest--you know."

Sir James ceased speaking. A heavy silence possessed the room.

Sir James walked quickly up to his companion.

"Now I ask you to notice two points in the story as I have told it. My
cross-examination of Wing served its purpose as an exposure of the
man--except in one direction. He swore that Mrs. Spar