lined to come. She said that she was ill enough pleased to hear of
your brawling. Said that she doubted not the law would punish you, nor
doubted that the law was just."

John Law half whirled upon his heel, smote his hands together and
laughed loud and bitterly.

"Madam," said he, "I had never thought to say it to a woman, but in very
justice I must tell you that I see quite through this shallow
falsehood."

"Sir," said Mary Connynge, her hands clutching at the arms of her chair,
"this is unusual speech to a lady!"

"But your story, Madam, is most unusual."

"Tell me, then, why should I be here?" burst out the girl. "What is it
to me? Why should I care what the Lady Catharine says or does? Why
should I risk my own name to come of this errand in the night? Now let
me pass, for I shall leave you."

Tho swift jealous rage of Mary Connynge was unpremeditated, yet nothing
had better served her real purpose. The stubborn nature of Law was ever
ready for a challenge. He caught her arm, and placed her not unkindly
upon the chair.

"By heaven, I half believe what you say is true!" said he, as though to
himself.

"Yet you just said 'twas false," said the girl, her eyes flashing.

"I meant that what you add is true, and hence the first also must be
believed. Then you saw my message?"

"I did, since it so fell out."

"But you did not read the real message. I asked no aid of any one for my
escape. I but asked her to come. In sheer truth, I wished but to see
her."

"And by what right could you expect that?"

"I asked her as my affianced wife," replied John Law.

Mary Connynge stood an inch taller, as she sprang to her feet in sudden
scorn and bitterness.

"Your affianced wife!" cried she. "What! So soon! Oh, rare indeed must
be my opinion of this Lady Catharine!"

"It was never my way to waste time on a journey," said John Law, coolly.

"Your wife, your affianced wife?"

"As I said."

"Yes," cried Mary Connynge, bitterly, and again, unconsciously and in
sheer anger, falling upon that course which best served her purpose.
"And what manner of affianced wife is it would forsake her lover at the
first breath of trouble? My God! 'tis then, it seems to me, a woman
would most swiftly fly to the man she loved."

John Law turned slowly toward her, his eyes scanning her closely from
top to toe, noting the heaving of her bosom, the sparkling of her
gold-colored eye, now darkened and half ready to dissolve in tears. H