far as to call upon me here and accuse me to
my face, telling me I was afraid of what she knew against me. I have
thought of taking legal measures to protect myself; perhaps I shall
still do so. Today something has come to my knowledge which possibly
explains Mrs. Rolfe's singular malice. My husband tells me--and it's a
sad pity he kept it a secret so long--that there was a third person
present that evening when he came upon Mr. Redgrave. I dare say you
remember the details of the story told in court. All was perfectly
true; but my husband should have added that a woman was with Mr.
Redgrave, talking alone with him in the dark; and when the blow had
been struck, this woman, who had quickly disappeared from the veranda
into the house, was found to be Mrs. Rolfe.'

Hugh's hand had fallen on to his friend's shoulder. He spoke as soon as
Sibyl ceased.

'She said she had done no wrong. I had no proof of any--no proof
whatever.'

Rolfe was looking at Alma. She, through the unimpassioned arraignment,
stood with eyes fixed upon her enemy, rather as if lost in thought than
listening; her mouth was tortured into a smile, her forehead had the
lines of age and misery. At the sound of Hugh's voice, she turned to
him, and spoke like one recovering consciousness.

'You have told the truth.'

'Why did you compel me to make this known, Mrs. Rolfe?'

'Oh, that's quite a mistake. It was she who made you tell it--as she
will make you do anything, and believe anything, she likes. I can
imagine how delighted she was. But it doesn't matter. If you care to
know it, either of you'--she included Carnaby and her husband in one
glance, as equally remote from her--'I haven't gone about seeking to
injure her. Perhaps I let one or two people know what I thought; but
they had heard the truth already. It wasn't prudent; and it wasn't a
right return for the kindness you had shown me, Mr. Carnaby. But I'm
not sure that I should have done better in helping to deceive you. Has
she anything more to say? If not, I will leave you to talk about it.'

The tone of this speech, so indifferent that it seemed light-headed,
struck the hearers mute. Rolfe, speaking for the first time since
Hugh's entrance, said at length, with troubled sternness----

'Alma, you have repeated your charge against Mrs. Carnaby; what grounds
have you for it?'

She looked at him with a vague smile, but did not answer.

'Surely you don't make an accusation of this kind without