to
you."

With that expression of confidence in me, Selina's narrative came to an
end. I wish I could have believed, as she did, that the object of her
admiration had been telling her the truth.

A few days later, Mrs. Tenbruggen honored me with a visit at my house
in the neighborhood of London. Thanks to this circumstance, I am able to
add a postscript which will complete the revelations in Miss Jillgall's
letter.

The illustrious Masseuse, having much to conceal from her faithful
Selina, was well aware that she had only one thing to keep hidden from
me; namely, the advantage which she would have gained if her inquiries
had met with success.

"I thought I might have got at what I wanted," she told me, "by
mesmerizing our reverend friend. He is as weak as a woman; I threw him
into hysterics, and had to give it up, and quiet him, or he would have
alarmed the house. You look as if you don't believe in mesmerism."

"My looks, Mrs. Tenbruggen, exactly express my opinion. Mesmerism is a
humbug!"

"You amusing old Tory! Shall I throw you into a state of trance? No!
I'll give you a shock of another kind--a shock of surprise. I know as
much as you do about Mr. Gracedieu's daughters. What do you think of
that?"

"I think I should like to hear you tell me, which is the adopted child."

"Helena, to be sure!"

Her manner was defiant, her tone was positive; I doubted both. Under the
surface of her assumed confidence, I saw something which told me that
she was trying to read my thoughts in my face. Many other women had
tried to do that. They succeeded when I was young. When I had reached
the wrong side of fifty, my face had learned discretion, and they
failed.

"How did you arrive at your discovery?" I asked. "I know of nobody who
could have helped you."

"I helped myself, sir! I reasoned it out. A wonderful thing for a woman
to do, isn't it? I wonder whether you could follow the process?"

My reply to this was made by a bow. I was sure of my command over my
face; but perfect control of the voice is a rare power. Here and there,
a great actor or a great criminal possesses it.

Mrs. Tenbruggen's vanity took me into her confidence. "In the first
place," she said, "Helena is plainly the wicked one of the two. I was
not prejudiced by what Selina had told me of her: I saw it, and felt
it, before I had been five minutes in her company. If lying tongues ever
provoke her as lying tongues provoked her mother, she will follow