'Of course,' said the divine Maker, with brazen front and calmly dignified speech, 'if these things are said in public or outside the studio, I shall be compelled to bring an action for libel. I have warned you already. Before repeating what you have said here you had better make quite sure that you can prove your words. Ask Miss Effie Wilmot what proofs she has of her assertion, if it is hers, and not an invention of your own!' Armorel threw down the volume. 'Poor Effie!' she said. 'She has been robbed of the first-fruits of her genius. How dare you talk of proofs?' She took up the current number of the journal. 'That is not all,' she said. 'Look here! This is one of your stories, is it not? I read in a paper yesterday that no Frenchman ever had so light a touch: that there are no modern stories anywhere so artistic in treatment and in construction as your own--your own--your very own, Mr. Feilding. Yet they are written for you, every one of them: they are written by Lady Frances Hollington. You are a Triple Impostor. I believe that you really are the very greatest Pretender--the most gigantic Pretender in the whole world.' 'Of course,' he went on, a little abashed by her impetuosity. 'I cannot stop your tongue. You may say what you please.' 'We shall say nothing more. That is what I came to say on behalf of my friends. I wished to spare them the pain of further communication with you.' 'Kind and thoughtful!' 'I have one more question to ask you, Mr. Feilding. Pray, why did you tell people that I was engaged to you?' 'Probably,' he replied, unabashed, 'because I wished it to be believed.' 'Why did you wish it to be believed?' 'Probably for private reasons.' 'It was a vile and horrible falsehood!' 'Come, Miss Rosevean, we will not call each other names. Otherwise I might ask you what the world calls a girl who encourages a man to dangle after her for weeks, till everybody talks about her, and then throws him over.' 'Oh! You cannot mean----' Before those flashing eyes his own dropped. 'I mean that this is exactly what you have done,' he said, but without looking up. 'Is it possible that a man can be so base? What encouragement did I ever give you?' 'You surely are not going to deny the thing, after all. Why, it has been patent for all the world to see you. I have been with you everywhere, in all public places. What hint did you ever give me that my addresses were disagreeable to you?'