"It is as we feared," I whispered into the ear of Aunt _Joyce_, whose face was turned from me: but when she turned her head, I was terrified. I never in my life saw Aunt _Joyce_ look as she did then. Out of her cheeks and lips every drop of blood seemed driven, and her eyes were blazing fire. When she whispered back, it was through her set teeth. "`As!' Far worse. Worser than thou wist. Is this the man?" "This is Sir _Edwin_!" Without another word Aunt _Joyce_ stalked forth, and had _Milisent_ by the arm ere she found time to scream. Then she shrieked and shrank, but Aunt _Joyce_ held her fast. "Get you gone!" was all she said to Sir _Edwin_. "Nay, Mistress, tell me rather by what right--" "Right!" Aunt _Joyce_ loosed her hold of _Milisent_, and went and stood right before him. "Right!--from you to me!" "Mistress, I cry you mercy, but we be entire strangers." "Be we?" she made answer, with more bitterness in her voice than ever I heard therein. "Be we such strangers? What! think you I know you not, _Leonard Norris_? You counted on the change of all these years to hide you from _Aubrey_ and _Lettice_, and you counted safely enough. They would not know you if they stood here. But did you fancy years could hide you from _Joyce Morrell_? Traitor! a woman will know the man she has loved, though his own mother were to pass him by unnoted." Sir _Edwin_ uttered not a word, but stood gazing on Aunt _Joyce_ as though she had bound him by a spell. She turned back to us a moment. "_Milisent_ and _Edith_, go home!" she saith. "_Milisent_, thank God that He hath saved thee from the very jaws of Hell--from a man worser than any fiend. _Edith_, tell thy father what hath happed, but say nought of all this to thy mother. I shall follow you anon. I have yet more ado with him here. Make thy mind easy, child--he'll not harm _me_. Now go." _Milisent_ needed no persuasions. She seemed as though Aunt _Joyce's_ words had stunned her, and she followed me like a dog. We spake no word to each other all the way. When we reached home, _Milly_ went straight up to her own chamber: and I, being mindful of Aunt _Joyce's_ bidding, went in search of _Father_, whom I found at his books in his closet. Ah me, but what sore work it were to tell him! I might scarce bear to see the sorrowful changes wrought in his face. But when I came to tell how Aunt _Joyce_ had called this gentleman by the name of _Leonard Norris_, for one minute his eyes blazed out like hers. Then they went very dark and troubled, and he hid his face in his hands till I had made an end of my sad story. "And I would fain not have been she that told you, _Father_," said I, "but Aunt _Joyce_ bade me so to do." "I must have heard it from some lips, daughter," he saith sorrowfully. "But have a care thou say no word to thy mother. She must hear it from none but me. My poor _Lettice_!--and my poor _Milisent_, my poor, foolish, duped child!"