The New Magdalen

JULIAN looked round the room, and stopped at the door which he had just

opened.

His eyes rested first on Mercy, next on Grace.

The disturbed faces of both the women told him but too plainly that

the disaster which he had dreaded had actually happened. They had met

without any third person to interfere between them. To what extremities

the hostile interview might have led it was impossible for him to guess.

In his aunt's presence he could only wait his opportunity of speaking to

Mercy, and be ready to interpose if anything was ignorantly done which

might give just cause of offense to Grace.

Lady Janet's course of action on entering the dining-room was in perfect

harmony with Lady Janet's character.

Instantly discovering the intruder, she looked sharply at Mercy. "What

did I tell you?" she asked. "Are you frightened? No! not in the least

frightened! Wonderful!" She turned to the servant. "Wait in the library;

I may want you again." She looked at Julian. "Leave it all to me; I can

manage it." She made a sign to Horace. "Stay where you are, and hold

your tongue." Having now said all that was necessary to every one else,

she advanced to the part of the room in which Grace was standing, with

lowering brows and firmly shut lips, defiant of everybody.

"I have no desire to offend you, or to act harshly toward you," her

ladyship began, very quietly. "I only suggest that your visits to my

house cannot possibly lead to any satisfactory result. I hope you

will not oblige me to say any harder words than these--I hope you will

understand that I wish you to withdraw."

The order of dismissal could hardly have been issued with more humane

consideration for the supposed mental infirmity of the person to whom

it was addressed. Grace instantly resisted it in the plainest possible

terms.

"In justice to my father's memory and in justice to myself,"

she answered, "I insist on a hearing. I refuse to withdraw." She

deliberately took a chair and seated herself in the presence of the

mistress of the house.

Lady Janet waited a moment--steadily controlling her temper. In the

interval of silence Julian seized the opportunity of remonstrating with

Grace.

"Is this what you promised me?" he asked, gently. "You gave me your word

that you would not return to Mablethorpe House."

Before he could say more Lady Janet had got her temper under command.

She began her answer to Grace by pointing with a peremptory forefinger

to the library door.

"If you have not made up your mind to take my advice by the time I have

walked back to that door," she said, "I will put it out of your power

to set me at defiance. I am used to be obeyed, and I will be obeyed. You

force me to use hard words. I warn you before it is too late. Go!"