“Praydon’tapologize，“shesaid。“IthinkIunderstandthatyouaresogoodastohavecometosee_me。_Youlooktired。Won’tyoutakeachair？“
　　Annecouldstandnolonger。Shetooktheofferedchair。Mrs。
　　Glenarmresumedherplaceonthemusic-stool，andranherfingersidlyoverthekeysofthepiano。“WheredidyouseeMr。
　　Delamayn？“shewenton。“Themostirresponsibleofmen，exceptwhenhehasgothisfiddleinhishand!Ishecominginsoon？Arewegoingtohaveanymusic？Haveyoucometoplaywithus？Mr。
　　Delamaynisaperfectfanaticinmusic，isn’the？Whyisn’theheretointroduceus？Isupposeyouliketheclassicalstyle，too？DidyouknowthatIwasinthemusic-room？MightIaskyourname？“
　　Frivolousastheywere，Mrs。Glenarm’squestionswerenotwithouttheiruse。TheygaveAnnetimetosummonherresolution，andtofeelthenecessityofexplainingherself。
　　“Iamspeaking，Ibelieve，toMrs。Glenarm？“shebegan。
　　Thegood-humoredwidowsmiledandbowedgraciously。
　　“Ihavecomehere，Mrs。Glenarm——byMr。Delamayn’spermission——toaskleavetospeaktoyouonamatterinwhichyouareinterested。“
　　Mrs。Glenarm’smany-ringedfingerspausedoverthekeysofthepiano。Mrs。Glenarm’splumpfaceturnedonthestrangerwithadawningexpressionofsurprise。
　　“Indeed？Iaminterestedinsomanymatters。MayIaskwhat_this_matteris？“
　　TheflippanttoneofthespeakerjarredonAnne。IfMrs。
　　Glenarm’snaturewasasshallowasitappearedtobeonthesurface，therewaslittlehopeofanysympathyestablishingitselfbetweenthem。
　　“Iwishedtospeaktoyou，“sheanswered，“aboutsomethingthathappenedwhileyouwerepayingavisitintheneighborhoodofPerth。“
　　ThedawningsurpriseinMrs。Glenarm’sfacebecameintensifiedintoanexpressionofdistrust。Herheartymannervanishedunderaveilofconventionalcivility，drawnoveritsuddenly。ShelookedatAnne。“Neveratthebestoftimesabeauty，“shethought。“Wretchedlyoutofhealthnow。Dressedlikeaservant，andlookinglikealady。What_does_itmean？“
　　ThelastdoubtwasnottobeborneinsilencebyapersonofMrs。
　　Glenarm’stemperament。Sheaddressedherselftothesolutionofitwiththemostunblushingdirectness——dextrouslyexcusedbythemostwinningfranknessofmanner。
　　“Pardonme，“shesaid。“Mymemoryforfacesisabadone；andI
　　don’tthinkyouheardmejustnow，whenIaskedforyourname。
　　Haveweevermetbefore？“
　　“Never。“
　　“Andyet——ifIunderstandwhatyouarereferringto——youwishtospeaktomeaboutsomethingwhichisonlyinterestingtomyselfandmymostintimatefriends。“
　　“Youunderstandmequitecorrectly，“saidAnne。“Iwishtospeaktoyouaboutsomeanonymousletters——“
　　“Forthethirdtime，willyoupermitmetoaskforyourname？“
　　“Youshallhearitdirectly——ifyouwillfirstallowmetofinishwhatIwantedtosay。Iwish——ifIcan——topersuadeyouthatI
　　comehereasafriend，beforeImentionmyname。Youwill，Iamsure，notbeverysorrytohearthatyouneeddreadnofurtherannoyance——“
　　“Pardonmeoncemore，“saidMrs。Glenarm，interposingforthesecondtime。“IamatalosstoknowtowhatIamtoattributethiskindinterestinmyaffairsonthepartofatotalstranger。“
　　Thistime，hertonewasmorethanpolitelycold——itwaspolitelyimpertinent。Mrs。Glenarmhadlivedallherlifeingoodsociety，andwasaperfectmistressofthesubtletiesofrefinedinsolenceinherintercoursewiththosewhoincurredherdispleasure。
　　Anne’ssensitivenaturefeltthewound——butAnne’spatientcouragesubmitted。Sheputawayfromhertheinsolencewhichhadtriedtosting，andwenton，gentlyandfirmly，asifnothinghadhappened。
　　“Thepersonwhowrotetoyouanonymously，“shesaid，“alludedtoacorrespondence。Heisnolongerinpossessionofit。Thecorrespondencehaspassedintohandswhichmaybetrustedtorespectit。Itwillbeputtonobaseuseinthefuture——Ianswerforthat。“
　　“Youanswerforthat？“repeatedMrs。Glenarm。Shesuddenlyleanedforwardoverthepiano，andfixedhereyesinunconcealedscrutinyonAnne’sface。Theviolenttemper，sooftenfoundincombinationwiththeweaknature，begantoshowitselfinherrisingcolor，andherloweringbrow。“Howdo_you_knowwhatthepersonwrote？“sheasked。“Howdo_you_knowthatthecorrespondencehaspassedintootherhands？Whoareyou？“BeforeAnnecouldanswerher，shesprangtoherfeet，electrifiedbyanewidea。“Themanwhowrotetomespokeofsomethingelsebesidesacorrespondence。Hespokeofawoman。Ihavefoundyouout!“sheexclaimed，withaburstofjealousfury。“_You_arethewoman!“
　　Anneroseonherside，stillinfirmpossessionofherself-control。
　　“Mrs。Glenarm，“shesaid，calmly，“Iwarn——no，Ientreatyou——nottotakethattonewithme。Composeyourself；andIpromisetosatisfyyouthatyouaremoreinterestedthanyouarewillingtobelieveinwhatIhavestilltosay。Praybearwithmeforalittlelonger。Iadmitthatyouhaveguessedright。IownthatI
　　amthemiserablewomanwhohasbeenruinedanddesertedbyGeoffreyDelamayn。“
　　“It’sfalse!“criedMrs。Glenarm。“Youwretch!Doyoucometo_me_withyourtrumped-upstory？WhatdoesJuliusDelamaynmeanbyexposingmetothis？“HerindignationatfindingherselfinthesameroomwithAnnebrokeitswaythrough，nottherestraintsonly，butthecommondecenciesofpoliteness。“I’llringfortheservants!“shesaid。“I’llhaveyouturnedoutofthehouse。“
　　Shetriedtocrossthefire-placetoringthebell。Anne，whowasstandingnearesttoit，steppedforwardatthesamemoment。
　　Withoutsayingaword，shemotionedwithherhandtotheotherwomantostandback。Therewasapause。Thetwowaited，withtheireyessteadilyfixedononeanother——eachwithherresolutionlaidbaretotheother’sview。Inamomentmore，thefinernatureprevailed。Mrs。Glenarmdrewbackastepinsilence。
　　“Listentome，“saidAnne。
　　“Listentoyou？“repeatedMrs。Glenarm。“Youhavenorighttobeinthishouse。Youhavenorighttoforceyourselfinhere。Leavetheroom!“
　　Anne’spatience——sofirmlyandadmirablypreservedthusfar——begantofailheratlast。
　　“Takecare，Mrs。Glenarm!“shesaid，stillstrugglingwithherself。“Iamnotnaturallyapatientwoman。Troublehasdonemuchtotamemytemper——butendurancehasitslimits。Youhavereachedthelimitsofmine。Ihaveaclaimtobeheard——andafterwhatyouhavesaidtome，I_will_beheard!“
　　“Youhavenoclaim!Youshamelesswoman，youaremarriedalready。
　　Iknowtheman’sname。ArnoldBrinkworth。“
　　“DidGeoffreyDelamayntellyouthat？“
　　“IdeclinetoanswerawomanwhospeaksofMr。GeoffreyDelamayninthatfamiliarway。“
　　Anneadvancedastepnearer。
　　“DidGeoffreyDelamayntellyouthat？“sherepeated。
　　Therewasalightinhereyes，therewasaringinhervoice，whichshowedthatshewasrousedatlast。Mrs。Glenarmansweredher，thistime。
　　“Hedidtellme。“
　　“Helied!“
　　“Hedid_not!_Heknew。Ibelieve_him。_Idon’tbelieve_you。_“
　　“IfhetoldyouthatIwasanythingbutasinglewoman——ifhetoldyouthatArnoldBrinkworthwasmarriedtoanybodybutMissLundieofWindygates——Isayagainhelied!“
　　“Isayagain——Ibelieve_him，_andnotyou。“
　　“YoubelieveIamArnoldBrinkworth’swife？“
　　“Iamcertainofit。“
　　“Youtellmethattomyface？“
　　“Itellyoutoyourface——youmayhavebeenGeoffreyDelamayn’smistress；youareArnoldBrinkworth’swife。“
　　AtthosewordsthelongrestrainedangerleapedupinAnne——allthemorehotlyforhavingbeenhithertososteadilycontrolled。
　　Inonebreathlessmomentthewhirlwindofherindignationsweptaway，notonlyallremembranceofthepurposewhichhadbroughthertoSwanhaven，butallsenseevenoftheunpardonablewrongwhichshehadsufferedatGeoffrey’shands。Ifhehadbeenthere，atthatmoment，andhadofferedtoredeemhispledge，shewouldhaveconsentedtomarryhim，whileMrs。Glenarmseyewasonher——nomatterwhethershedestroyedherselfinherfirstcoolmomentafterwardornot。Thesmallstinghadplanteditselfatlastinthegreatnature。Thenoblestwomanisonlyawoman，afterall!