re
just then, he might have known how to answer the question.

"You have come for Julian, I suppose?" she said, a little coldly.

"Yes--in a minute or two. Won't you let me rest for a few minutes after
my walk in the broiling sun?"

"Oh, certainly; you shall have some tea, if you like. I am at liberty
this afternoon," said Janetta, with a little malice, "as my pupil has
just sent me word that she has a headache, and cannot come."

"Who is your pupil this afternoon?" said Wyvis, stroking his black
moustache.

"Miss Adair."

He gave her a quick, keen glance, then turned away. She read vexation in
his eyes.

"Don't let me trouble you," he said, in a different tone, as she moved
towards the door; "I really ought not to stay--I have an engagement or
two to fulfill. No tea, thanks. Is Julian ready?"

"In a minute or two I will call him. I want to ask you a question
first--if you will let me?"

"All right; go on. That's the way people begin disagreeable subjects, do
you know?"

"I don't know whether you will consider this a disagreeable question. I
suppose you will," said Janetta, with an effort. "I promised you once to
say nothing to my friends about your affairs--about Julian's mother, and
I have kept my word. But I must ask you now--does Miss Adair know that
you are married?"

There was a moment's pause. They stood opposite one another, and,
lifting her eyes to his face, she saw that he was frowning heavily and
gnawing his moustache.

"What does that matter to _you_?" he said, angrily, at last.

She shrank a little, but answered steadily--

"Margaret is my friend."

"Well, what then?"

The color rose to Janetta's face. "I don't believe you knew what you were
doing yesterday," she said; "but I knew--I heard people talking, and I
knew what people thought. They said that you were paying attention to
Miss Adair. They supposed you were going to marry her soon. None of them
seemed to know that--that--your wife was still alive. And of course I
could not tell them."

"Of course not," he assented, with curious eagerness; "I knew you would
keep your word."

"You made Margaret conspicuous," Janetta continued, with some warmth.
"You placed her in a very false position. If _she_ thinks, as other
people thought, that you want to marry her, she ought to be told the
truth at once. You must tell her--yourself--that you were only amusing
yourself--only playing with her, as no man has a right to play with a
girl," sa