“Stop!” she cried. “You must be crazy to say such things. My poor girl, you have made a great mistake. Your husband is some other Mr. Carter I suppose. My Mr. Carter is not that kind of a man. He has never been married—” “Yes, he has!” interposed Lizzie fiercely, “He’s married all right, an’ I got the c’tif’ct all right too, only I couldn’t bring it this time cause I lef’ it with my lawyer; but you can see it ef you want to, with his name all straight, “Sty-Vee-Zant Carter,” all writ out. I see to it that he writ it himself. I kin read meself, pretty good, so I knowed.” “I am very sorry for you,” said Starr sweetly, though her heart was heating violently in spite of her efforts to be calm and to tell herself that she must get rid of this wretched impostor without making a scene for the servants to witness: “I am very sorry, but you have made some great mistake. There isn’t anything I can do for you now, but later when I come back to New York if you care to look me up I will try to do something for baby.” Lizzie stood erect in the middle of the little room, her face slowly changing to a stony stare, her eyes fairly blazing with anger. “De’yer mean ter tell me yer a goin’ t’go on an’ marry my husban’ jes’ ez ef nothin’ had happened? Ain’t yer goin’ ter ast him ef it’s true ner nothin’? Ain’t yer goin’ t’ find out what’s true ’bout him? R d’ye want ’im so bad ye don’t care who yer hurt, or wot he is, so long’s he makes a big splurge before folks? Ain’t you a-goin’ ter ast him ’bout it?” “Oh, why certainly, of course,” said Starr as if she were pacifying a frantic child, “I can ask him. I will ask him of course, but I _know_ that you are mistaken. Now really, I shall have to say good afternoon. I haven’t another minute to spare. You must go!” “I shan’t stir a step till you promise me thet you’ll ast him right straight away. Ain’t you all got no telyphone? Well, you kin call him up an’ ast him. Jest ast him why he didn’t never speak to you of his wife Lizzie, and where he was the evenin’ of Augus’ four. That’s the date on the c’tif’ct! Tell him you seen me an’ then see wot he says. Tell him my lawyer is a goin’ to fix him ef he goes on. It’ll be in all the papers tomorrer mornin’ ef he goes on. An’ you c’n say I shan’t never consent to no _di_-vorce, they ain’t respectable, an’ I got to think o’ that on baby’s account.” “If you will go quietly away now and say nothing more about this to anyone I will tell Mr. Carter all about you,” said Starr, her voice trembling with the effort at self-control. “D’ye promus you will?” “Certainly,” said Starr with dignity. “Will ye do it right off straight?” “Yes, if you will go at once.” “Cross yer heart?” “What?” “Cross yer heart ye will? Thet’s a sort o’ oath t’ make yer keep yer promus,” explained Lizzie. “A lady needs no such thing to make her keep her promise. Don’t you know that ladies always keep their promises?”