Miss Mildmay,
"that you should come to this house at all."

"I hope your aunt will not think----"

"Never mind my aunt. The house is more my house than my aunt's. After
what you have done to me----"

"What have I done to you?" She could not help asking the question, and
yet she well knew the nature of the accusation. And she could not stop
the rushing of the tell-tale blood.

Augusta Mildmay was blushing too, but the blush on her face consisted
in two red spots beneath the eyes. The determination to say what she
was going to say had come upon her suddenly. She had not thought that
she was about to meet her rival. She had planned nothing; but now she
was determined. "What have you done?" she said. "You know very well
what you have done. Do you mean to tell me that you had never heard of
anything between me and Captain De Baron? Will you dare to tell me
that? Why don't you answer me, Lady George Germain?"

This was a question which she did not wish to answer, and one that did
not at all appertain to herself--which did not require any answer for
the clearing of herself; but yet it was now asked in such a manner
that she could not save herself from answering it. "I think I did hear
that you and he--knew each other."

"Knew each other! Don't be so mealy-mouthed. I don't mean to be
mealy-mouthed, I can tell you. You knew all about it. Adelaide had told
you. You knew that we were engaged."

"No," exclaimed Lady George; "she never told me that."

"She did. I know she did. She confessed to me that she had told you
so."

"But what if she had?"

"Of course he is nothing to you," said the young lady with a sneer.

"Nothing at all;--nothing on earth. How dare you ask such a question?
If Captain De Baron is engaged, I can't make him keep his engagements."

"You can make him break them."

"That is not true. I can make him do nothing of the kind. You have no
right to talk to me in this way, Miss Mildmay."

"Then I shall do it without a right. You have come between me and all
my happiness."

"You cannot know that I am a married woman," said Lady George, speaking
half in innocence and half in anger, almost out of breath with
confusion, "or you wouldn't speak like that."

"Psha!" exclaimed Miss Mildmay. "It is nothing to me whether you are
married or single. I care nothing though you have twenty lovers if you
do not interfere with me."

"It is a falsehood," said Lady George, who was now standing. "I have no
lover. I