Such were Virginia's feelings, and the sweet happiness experienced when she confessed her sin shone in her face with convincing truthfulness. John listened to her with ever increasing amazement, and when she had concluded, his cold, austere demeanor had perceptibly softened. Yet Thorpe breathed hard. "You vilified Corway's character and I have heard recently of his--of her mad infatuation for him and of his frequent visits to our home while I was away in China." "The source of your information was a lie. You received it gratuitously from Beauchamp, did you not?" "I have not mentioned the source of my information. Why do you think he was my informant?" "Because he hated Corway." "And you conspired with him to ruin my home," quickly interrupted Thorpe, and again coldly turned from her. "You shall hear me!" and Virginia insistently gripped his coat sleeve and turned him toward her. "I have sought you too long to explain this unhappy affair, and now that I have found you, you must hear me out." Smothering his impatience, Thorpe said: "Well!" "I loved Corway, oh, so fondly!--but, alas, too well, and I allowed myself to cherish the belief that in his endearing manifestations he reciprocated my love. But on my premature return from the farm, I unexpectedly heard him declare his passion for Hazel. Then an all absorbing desire for revenge possessed me. "I resolved to break their engagement and first endeavor to estrange him--from your friendship. To accomplish that end I traduced his character and created a suspicion that his attention to Hazel was insincere and mercenary, expecting that after Corway was denied access to your home, I could smooth over the unpleasantness between you and Hazel and eventually annul his betrothal to her. But your informant juggled the names, made Constance the subject of Corway's affection instead of Hazel, and led you to believe the ring was a love token from her to him." "He insisted and repeated that Constance was the guilty one and not Hazel," dubiously commented Thorpe. "I understand now, it was out of revenge," she laconically replied. "Revenge! What wrong have I done Lord Beauchamp?" questioned Thorpe, amazed at Virginia's disclosures. "You will understand when I disclose, as I have recently learned that he is Philip Rutley, masquerading as Lord Beauchamp." "God of our fathers!" exclaimed Thorpe, clapping his hand to his white forehead, to still the pain of sudden doubt of his wife's inconstancy, that had seized him. "What punishment is this inflicted on me?" Then turning to Virginia with fierce light in his eyes, he sprang at her. In one bound he clutched her by the wrist, glared in her eyes, and said: "And you, my only sister, have known all this and permitted him to wreak his vengeance upon my innocent wife, who never bore him malice, or did him wrong by thought, word or deed."