The New Magdalen

Was there hope in this new view?

Yes! There was the false hope of making the inevitable atonement by some

other means than by the confession of the fraud.

What had Grace Roseberry actually lost by the wrong done to her? She

had lost the salary of Lady Janet's "companion and reader." Say that she

wanted money, Mercy had her savings from the generous allowance made

to her by Lady Janet; Mercy could offer money. Or say that she wanted

employment, Mercy's interest with Lady Janet could offer employment,

could offer anything Grace might ask for, if she would only come to

terms.

Invigorated by the new hope, Mercy rose excitedly, weary of inaction in

the empty room. She, who but a few minutes since had shuddered at the

thought of their meeting again, was now eager to devise a means of

finding her way privately to an interview with Grace. It should be done

without loss of time--on that very day, if possible; by the next day at

latest. She looked round her mechanically, pondering how to reach the

end in view. Her eyes rested by chance on the door of the billiard-room.

Was it fancy? or did she really see the door first open a little, then

suddenly and softly close again?

Was it fancy? or did she really hear, at the same moment, a sound behind

her as of persons speaking in the conservatory?

She paused; and, looking back in that direction, listened intently. The

sound--if she had really heard it--was no longer audible. She advanced

toward the billiard-room to set her first doubt at rest. She stretched

out her hand to open the door, when the voices (recognizable now as the

voices of two men) caught her ear once more.

This time she was able to distinguish the words that were spoken.

"Any further orders, sir?" inquired one of the men.

"Nothing more," replied the other.

Mercy started, and faintly flushed, as the second voice answered the

first. She stood irresolute close to the billiard-room, hesitating what

to do next.

After an interval the second voice made itself heard again, advancing

nearer to the dining-room: "Are you there, aunt?" it asked cautiously.

There was a moment's pause. Then the voice spoke for the third time,

sounding louder and nearer. "Are you there?" it reiterated; "I have

something to tell you." Mercy summoned her resolution and answered:

"Lady Janet is not here." She turned as she spoke toward the

conservatory door, and confronted on the threshold Julian Gray.

They looked at one another without exchanging a word on either side.

The situation--for widely different reasons--was equally embarrassing to

both of them.

There--as Julian saw _her_--was the woman forbidden to him, the woman

whom he loved.

There--as Mercy saw _him_--was the man whom she dreaded, the man whose

actions (as she interpreted them) proved that he suspected her.