William," she said, squeezing one of her hands
firmly over her bosom, as if she was trying to keep down the rising
indignation in that way. "This is the last order of his giving that I
shall ask you to obey."

"Do you threaten me, you mad--"

He finished the question by a word I shall not repeat.

"I tell you," she answered, in clear, ringing, resolute tones, "that you
have outraged me past all forgiveness and all endurance, and that you
shall never insult me again as you have insulted me to-night."

After saying those words she fixed one steady look on him, then turned
away and walked slowly to the door.

A minute previously Mr. Meeke had summoned courage enough to get up and
leave the room quietly. I noticed him walking demurely away, close to
the wall, with his fiddle held under one tail of his long frock-coat,
as if he was afraid that the savage passions of Mr. James Smith might
be wreaked on that unoffending instrument. He got to the door before my
mistress. As he softly pulled it open, I saw him start, and the rustling
of the gown caught my ear again from the outside.

My mistress followed him into the passage, turning, however, in the
opposite direction to that taken by the little parson, in order to reach
the staircase that led to her own room. I went out next, leaving Mr.
James Smith alone.

I overtook Mr. Meeke in the hall, and opened the door for him.

"I beg your pardon, sir," I said, "but did you come upon anybody
listening outside the music-room when you left it just now?"

"Yes, William," said Mr. Meeke, in a faint voice, "I think it was
Josephine; but I was so dreadfully agitated that I can't be quite
certain about it."

Had she surprised our secret? That was the question I asked myself as I
went away to light the fire in the Red Room. Calling to mind the exact
time at which I had first detected the rustling outside the door, I came
to the conclusion that she had only heard the last part of the quarrel
between my mistress and her rascal of a husband. Those bold words
about the "new wife" had been assuredly spoken before I heard Josephine
stealing up to the door.

As soon as the fire was alight and the bed made, I went back to the
music-room to announce that my orders had been obeyed. Mr. James Smith
was walking up and down in a perturbed way, still keeping his hat on. He
followed me to the Red Room without saying a word.

Ten minutes later he rang for the kettle and the bottle of brandy. W