She lifted her head, with the steady light of resolution shining again in her grand, gray eyes.
Her low, sweet voice answered him, without a faltering note in it,
"I will!"
"You will do justice to the woman whom you have wronged—unworthy as she is; powerless as she is to expose you?"
"I will!"
"You will sacrifice everything you have gained by the fraud to the sacred duty of atonement?
You will suffer anything—even though you offend the second mother who has loved you and sinned for you—rather than suffer the degradation of yourself?"
Her hand closed firmly on his.
Again, and for the last time, she answered,
"I will!"
His voice had not trembled yet.
It failed him now.
His next words were spoken in faint whispering tones—to himself; not to her.
"Thank God for this day!" he said.
"I have been of some service to one of the noblest of God's creatures!"
Some subtle influence, as he spoke, passed from his hand to hers.
It trembled through her nerves; it entwined itself mysteriously with the finest sensibilities in her nature; it softly opened her heart to a first vague surmising of the devotion that she had inspired in him.
A faint glow of color, lovely in its faintness, stole over her face and neck.
Her breathing quickened tremblingly.
She drew her hand away from him, and sighed when she had released it.
He rose suddenly to his feet and left her, without a word or a look, walking slowly down the length of the room.
When he turned and came back to her, his face was composed; he was master of himself again.
Mercy was the first to speak.
She turned the conversation from herself by reverting to the proceedings in Lady Janet's room.
"You spoke of Horace just now," she said, "in terms which surprised me.
You appeared to think that he would not hold me to my explanation.
Is that one of the conclusions which you draw from Lady Janet's letter?"
"Most assuredly," Julian answered.
"You will see the conclusion as I see it if we return for a moment to Grace Roseberry's departure from the house."
Mercy interrupted him there.
"Can you guess," she asked, "how Lady Janet prevailed upon her to go?"
"I hardly like to own it," said Julian. "There is an expression in the letter which suggests to me that Lady Janet has offered her money, and that she has taken the bribe."
"Oh, I can't think that!"
"Let us return to Horace.
Miss Roseberry once out of the house, but one serious obstacle is left in Lady Janet's way.
That obstacle is Horace Holmcroft."
"How is Horace an obstacle?"
"He is an obstacle in this sense.
He is under an engagement to marry you in a week's time; and Lady Janet is determined to keep him (as she is determined to keep every one else) in ignorance of the truth.
She will do that without scruple.
But the inbred sense of honor in her is not utterly silenced yet.
She cannot, she dare not, let Horace make you his wife under the false impression that you are Colonel Roseberry's daughter.
You see the situation?
On the one hand, she won't enlighten him.
On the other hand, she cannot allow him to marry you blindfold.
In this emergency what is she to do?
There is but one alternative that I can discover.
She must persuade Horace (or she must irritate Horace) into acting for himself, and breaking off the engagement on his own responsibility."
Mercy stopped him.
"Impossible!" she cried, warmly.