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second person in warming to a mood of defiance。 It seemed as if she
were prepared to put up with a cold refusal； but that her
haughtiness resented a criticism of her conduct ending in a rebuke。
By this； Manston's discreditable object； which had been made hers by
compulsion only； was now adopted by choice。 She flung herself into
the work。
A fiery man in such a case would have relinquished persuasion and
tried palpable force。 A fiery woman added unscrupulousness and
evolved daring strategy； and in her obstinacy； and to sustain
herself as mistress； she descended to an action the meanness of
which haunted her conscience to her dying hour。
'I don't quite see； Mr。 Springrove；' she said； 'that I am altogether
what you are pleased to call a stranger。 I have known your family；
at any rate； for a good many years； and I know Miss Graye
particularly well； and her state of mind with regard to this
matter。'
Perplexed love makes us credulous and curious as old women。 Edward
was willing； he owned it to himself； to get at Cytherea's state of
mind； even through so dangerous a medium。
'A letter I received from her' he said； with assumed coldness；
'tells me clearly enough what Miss Graye's mind is。'
'You think she still loves you？ O yes； of course you doall men
are like that。'
'I have reason to。' He could feign no further than the first
speech。
'I should be interested in knowing what reason？' she said； with
sarcastic archness。
Edward felt he was allowing her to do； in fractional parts； what he
rebelled against when regarding it as a whole； but the fact that his
antagonist had the presence of a queen； and features only in the
early evening of their beauty； was not without its influence upon a
keenly conscious man。 Her bearing had charmed him into toleration；
as Mary Stuart's charmed the indignant Puritan visitors。 He again
answered her honestly。
'The best of reasonsthe tone of her letter。'
'Pooh； Mr。 Springrove！'
'Not at all； Miss Aldclyffe！ Miss Graye desired that we should be
strangers to each other for the simple practical reason that
intimacy could only make wretched complications worse； not from lack
of lovelove is only suppressed。'
'Don't you know yet； that in thus putting aside a man； a woman's
pity for the pain she inflicts gives her a kindness of tone which is
often mistaken for suppressed love？' said Miss Aldclyffe； with soft
insidiousness。
This was a translation of the ambiguity of Cytherea's tone which he
had certainly never thought of； and he was too ingenuous not to own
it。
'I had never thought of it；' he said。
'And don't believe it？'
'Not unless there was some other evidence to support the view。'
She paused a minute and then began hesitatingly
'My intention waswhat I did not dream of owning to youmy
intention was to try to induce you to fulfil your promise to Miss
Hinton not solely on her account and yours （though partly）。 I love
Cytherea Graye with all my soul； and I want to see her happy even
more than I do you。 I did not mean to drag her name into the affair
at all； but I am driven to say that she wrote that letter of
dismissal to youfor it was a most pronounced dismissalnot on
account of your engagement。 She is old enough to know that
engagements can be broken as easily as they can be made。 She wrote
it because she loved another man； very suddenly； and not with any
idea or hope of marrying him； but none the less deeply。'
'Who？'
'Mr。 Manston。'
'Good …！ I can't listen to you for an instant； madam； why； she
hadn't seen him！'
'She had； he came here the day before she wrote to you； and I could
prove to you； if it were worth while； that on that day she went
voluntarily to his house； though not artfully or blamably； stayed
for two hours playing and singing； that no sooner did she leave him
than she went straight home； and wrote the letter saying she should
not see you again； entirely because she had seen him and fallen
desperately in love with hima perfectly natural thing for a young
girl to do； considering that he's the handsomest man in the county。
Why else should she not have written to you before？'
'Because I was such abecause she did not know of the connection
between me and my cousin until then。'
'I must think she did。'
'On what ground？'
'On the strong ground of my having told her so； distinctly； the very
first day she came to live with me。'
'Well； what do you seek to impress upon me after all？ Thisthat
the day Miss Graye wrote to me； saying it was better that we should
part； coincided with the day she had seen a certain man'
'A remarkably handsome and talented man。'
'Yes； I admit that。'
'And that it coincided with the hour just subsequent to her seeing
him。'
'Yes； just when she had seen him。'
'And been to his house alone with him。'
'It is nothing。'
'And stayed there playing and singing with him。'
'Admit that； too；' he said； 'an accident might have caused it。'
'And at the same instant that she wrote your dismissal she wrote a
letter referring to a secret appointment with him。'
'Never； by God； madam！ never！'
'What do you say； sir？'
'Never。'
She sneered。
'There's no accounting for beliefs； and the whole history is a very
trivial matter； but I am resolved to prove that a lady's word is
truthful； though upon a matter which concerns neither you nor
herself。 You shall learn that she DID write him a letter concerning
an assignationthat is； if Mr。 Manston still has it； and will be
considerate enough to lend it me。'
'But besides；' continued Edward； 'a married man to do what would
cause a young girl to write a note of the kind you mention！'
She flushed a little。
'That I don't know anything about；' she stammered。 'But Cytherea
didn't； of course； dream any more than I did； or others in the
parish； that he was married。'
'Of course she didn't。'
'And I have reason to believe that he told her of the fact directly
afterwards； that she might not compromise herself； or allow him to。
It is notorious that he struggled honestly and hard against her
attractions； and succeeded in hiding his feelings； if not in
quenching them。'
'We'll hope that he did。'
'But circumstances are changed now。'
'Very greatly changed；' he murmured abstractedly。
'You must remember；' she added more suasively； 'that Miss Graye has
a perfect right to do what she likes with her ownher heart； that
is to say。'
Her descent from irritation was caused by perceiving that Edward's
faith was really disturbed by her strong assertions； and it
gratified her。
Edward's thoughts flew to his father； and the object of his
interview with her。 Tongue…fencing was utterly distasteful to him。
'I will not trouble you by remaining longer； madam；' he remarked；
gloomily； 'our conversation has ended sadly for me。'
'Don't think so；' she said； 'and don't be mistaken。 I am older than
you are； many years older； and I know many things。'
Full of miserable doubt； and bitterly regretting that he had raised
his father's expectations by anticipations impossible of fulfilment；
Edward slowly went his way into the village； and approached his
cousin's house。 The farmer was at the door looking eagerly for him。
He had been waiting there for more than half…an…hour。 His eye
kindled quickly。
'Well； Ted； what does she say？' he asked； in the intensely sanguine
tones which fall sadly upon a listener's ear； because； antecedently；
they raise pictures of inevitable disappointment for the speaker； in
some direction or another。
'Nothing for us to be alarmed at；' said Edward； with a forced
cheerfulness。
'But must we rebuild？'
'It seems we must； father。'
The old man's eyes swept the horizon； then he turned to go in；
without making another observation。 All light seemed extinguished
in him again。 When Edward went in he found his father with the
bureau open； unfolding the leases with a shaking hand； folding them
up again without reading them； then putting them in their niche only
to remove them again。
Adelaide was in the room。 She said thoughtfully to Edward； as she
watched the farmer
'I hope it won't kill poor uncle； Edward。 What should we do if
anything were to happen to him？ He is the only near relative you
and I have in the world。' It was perfectly true； and somehow Edward
felt more bound up with her after that remark。
She continued： 'And he was only saying so hopefully the day before
the fire； that he wouldn't for the world let any one else give me
away to you when we are married。'
For the first time a conscientious doubt arose in Edward's mind as
to the justice of the course he was pursuing in resolving to refuse
the alternative offered by Miss Aldclyffe。 Could it be selfishness
as well as independence？ How much he had thought of his own heart；
how little he had thought of his father's peace of mind！
The old man did not speak again till supper…time； when he began
asking his son an endless number of hypothetical questions on what
might induce Miss Aldclyffe to listen to kinder terms； speaking of
her now not as an unfair woman； but as a Lachesis or Fate whose
course it behoved nobody to condemn。 In his earnestness he