h
horrible doubts.

'Won't it be a pity to miss your train?' she said, with a friendly
smile. 'I can give you my address.'

'No doubt you can. Look here--it was a toss-up whether I should let you
go or not, until you said _that_. If you had begged off, ten to one I
should have thought I might as well save myself trouble. But after that
cursed lie----'

'That's the second time you've used the word, Mr. Carnaby. I'm not
accustomed to it, and I shouldn't have thought you would speak in that
way to a lady.'

He was aghast at her assurance, which, for some reason, made him only
the more inclined to listen to her. He beckoned a cab.

'Where shall we drive to?'

'Say Clapham Junction.'

They entered the four-wheeler, and, as soon as it began to move out of
the station, Mrs. Maskell leaned back. Her claim to be considered a
lady suffered no contradiction from her look, her movements, or her
speech; throughout the strange dialogue she had behaved with remarkable
self-command, and made use of the aptest phrases without a sign of
effort. In the years which had elapsed since she filled the position of
housekeeper to Mrs. Carnaby, she seemed to have gained in the externals
of refinement; though even at that time her manners were noticeably
good.

'Raise your veil, please,' said Hugh, when he had pulled up the second
window.

She obliged him, and showed a face of hard yet regular outline, which
would have been almost handsome but for its high cheek-bones and coarse
lips.

'And you have been going about all this time, openly?'

'With discretion. I am not perfect, unfortunately. Rather than lose
sixpence at the bookstall, I forgot myself. That's a woman's weakness;
we don't easily get over it.'

'What put it into your head to speak of my wife?'

'I had to gain time, had I not?'

In a sudden burst of wrath, Hugh banged the window open; but, before he
could call to the cabman, a voice sounded in his ear, a clear quick
whisper, the lips that spoke all but touching him.

'Do you know that your wife is Mr. Redgrave's mistress?'

He fell back. There was no blood in his face; his eyes stared hideously.

'Say that again, and I'll crush the life out of you!'

'You look like it, but you won't. My information is too valuable.'

'It's the vilest lie ever spoken by whore and thief.'

'You are not polite, Mr. Carnaby.'

She still controlled herself, but in fear, as quick glances showed. And
her fear was not unreasonable;