"That," said Lady Janet, "was my only object."
"You had nothing to say to me on the subject of Mercy Merrick?"
"Nothing whatever. I am weary of hearing of Mercy Merrick. Have you any
more questions to ask me?"
"I have one more."
"Yes?"
"I wish to ask your ladyship whether you propose to recognize me in the
presence of your household as the late Colonel Roseberry's daughter?"
"I have already recognized you as a lady in embarrassed circumstances,
who has peculiar claims on my consideration and forbearance. If you wish
me to repeat those words in the presence of the servants (absurd as it
is), I am ready to comply with your request."
Grace's temper began to get the better of her prudent resolutions.
"Lady Janet!" she said; "this won't do. I must request you to express
yourself plainly. You talk of my peculiar claims on your forbearance.
What claims do you mean?"
"It will be painful to both of us if we enter into details," replied
Lady Janet. "Pray don't let us enter into details."
"I insist on it, madam."
"Pray don't insist on it."
Grace was deaf to remonstrance.
"I ask you in plain words," she went on, "do you acknowledge that you
have been deceived by an adventuress who has personated me? Do you mean
to restore me to my proper place in this house?"
Lady Janet returned to the arrangement of her papers.
"Does your ladyship refuse to listen to me?"
Lady Janet looked up from her papers as blandly as ever.
"If _you_ persist in returning to your delusion," she said, "you will
oblige _me_ to persist in returning to my papers."
"What is my delusion, if you please?"
"Your delusion is expressed in the questions you have just put to me.
Your delusion constitutes your peculiar claim on my forbearance. Nothing
you can say or do will shake my forbearance. When I first found you in
the dining-room, I acted most improperly; I lost my temper. I did worse;
I was foolish enough and imprudent enough to send for a police officer.
I owe you every possible atonement (afflicted as you are) for treating
you in that cruel manner. I offered you the use of my boudoir, as part
of my atonement. I sent for you, in the hope that you would allow me to
assist you, as part of my atonement. You may behave rudely to me, you
may speak in the most abusive terms of my adopted daughter; I will
submit to anything, as part of my atonement. So long as you abstain from
speaking on one painful subject, I will listen to you with the greatest
pleasure. Whenever you return to that subject I shall return to my
papers."