"Ah," cried Isabel, "you can give fair reasons for foul deeds. You always could. We often do, we women. The blacker our conduct, the better the names with which we cover it. If you would only glory openly in what you have done and stand by it! Not a word of what you have said is true, as you have said it. When I left home not a human being but yourself knew that there had been trouble between Rowan and me. It need never have become public, had you let the matter be as I asked you to do, and as you solemnly promised that you would. It is you who have deliberately made the trouble and scattered the gossip and spread the scandal. Why do you not avow that your motive was revenge, and that your passion was not justice, but malice. Ah, you are too deep a woman to try to seem so shallow!" "Can I be of any further service to you?" said Mrs. Conyers with perfect politeness, rising. "I am sorry that the hour of my engagement has come. Are you to be in town long?" "I shall be here until I have undone what you have done," cried Isabel, rising also and shaking with rage. "The decencies of life compel me to shield you still, and for that reason I shall stay in this house. I am not obliged to ask this as a privilege; it is my right." "Then I shall have the pleasure of seeing you often." Isabel went up to her room as usual and summoned her maid, and ordered her carriage to be ready in half an hour. Half an hour later she came down and drove to the Hardages'. She showed no pleasure in seeing him again, and he no surprise in seeing her. "I have been expecting you," he said; "I thought you would be brought back by all this." "Then you have heard what they are saying about Rowan?" "I suppose we have all heard," he replied, looking at her sorrowfully. "You have not believed these things?" "I have denied them as far as I could. I should have denied that anything had occurred; but you remember I could not do that after what you told me. You said something had occurred." "Yes, I know," she said. "But you now have my authority at least to say that these things are not true. What I planned for the best has been misused and turned against him and against me. Have you seen him?" "He has been in town, but I have not seen him." "Then you must see him at once. Tell me one thing: have you heard it said that I am responsible for the circulation of these stories?" "Yes." "Do you suppose he has heard that? And could he believe it? Yet might he not believe it? But how could he, how could he!" "You must come here and stay with us. Anna will want you." He could not tell her his reason for understanding that she would not wish to stay at home. "No, I should like to come; but it is better for me to stay at home. But I wish Rowan to come to see me here. Judge Morris--has he done nothing?" "He does not know. No one has told him." Her expression showed that she did not understand.