"You made Margaret conspicuous," Janetta continued, with some warmth. "You placed her in a very false position. If _she_ thinks, as other people thought, that you want to marry her, she ought to be told the truth at once. You must tell her--yourself--that you were only amusing yourself--only playing with her, as no man has a right to play with a girl," said Janetta, with such vehemence that the tears rose to her great dark eyes and the scarlet color to her cheeks--"that you were flirting, in fact, and that Julian's mother--_your wife_, Cousin Wyvis--is still alive." CHAPTER XXVI. "FREE!" "And what if I refuse to tell her this?" said Wyvis Brand. "Then I shall tell her myself." "And break your word to me?" "And break my word." He stood looking at her for a minute in silence, and then an ironical smile curled his lip as he turned aside. "Women are all alike," he said. "They cannot possibly hold their tongues. I thought _you_ were superior to most of your sex. I remember that your father once spoke of you to me as 'his faithful Janet.' Is this your faithfulness?" "Yes, it is, it is," she cried; and then, sitting down, she suddenly burst into tears. She was unnerved and agitated, and so she wept, as girls will weep--for nothing at all sometimes, and sometimes in the very crisis of their fate. Wyvis looked on, uncomprehending, a little touched, though rather against his will, by Janetta's tears. He knew that she did not often cry. He waited for the paroxysm to pass--waited grimly, but with "compunctuous visitings." And presently he was rewarded for his patience. She dried her eyes, lifted up her head, and spoke. "I don't know why I should make such a fool of myself," she said. "I suppose it was because you mentioned my father. Yes, he used to call me his faithful Janet very often. I have always tried--to--to _deserve_ that name." "Forgive me, Janetta," said her cousin, more moved than he liked to appear. "I did not want to hurt you; but, indeed, my dear girl, you must let me manage my affairs for myself. You are not responsible for Margaret Adair as you were for Nora; and you can't, you know, bring me to book as you did my brother, Cuthbert." "You mean that I interfere too much in other people's business?" said poor Janetta, with quivering lips. "I did not say so. I only say, '_Don't_ interfere.'" "It is very hard to do right," said Janetta, looking at him with wistful eyes. "One's duty seems so divided. Margaret is not my sister--that is true, but she is my friend; and I always believed that one had responsibilities and duties towards friends as well as towards relations." "Possibly"--in a very dry tone. "But you need not meddle with what is no concern of yours." "It is my concern, if you--my cousin--are not acting rightly to my friend." "I say it is no concern of yours at all."