“I have promised you an explanation of my conduct,” she said, in accents that trembled a little in spite of herself. “I am ready to perform my promise.” “I have a question to ask you before you do that,” he rejoined. “Can you speak the truth?” “I am waiting to speak the truth.” “I will give you an opportunity. Are you or are you not in love with Julian Gray?” “You ought to be ashamed to ask the question!” “Is that your only answer?” “I have never been unfaithful to you, Horace, even in thought. If I had _not_ been true to you, should I feel my position as you see I feel it now?” He smiled bitterly. “I have my own opinion of your fidelity and of his honor,” he said. “You couldn’t even send him into the next room without whispering to him first. Never mind that now. At least you know that Julian Gray is in love with you.” “Mr. Julian Gray has never breathed a word of it to me.” “A man can show a woman that he loves her, without saying it in words.” Mercy’s power of endurance began to fail her. Not even Grace Roseberry had spoken more insultingly to her of Julian than Horace was speaking now. “Whoever says that of Mr. Julian Gray, lies!” she answered, warmly. “Then Lady Janet lies,” Horace retorted. “Lady Janet never said it! Lady Janet is incapable of saying it!” “She may not have said it in so many words; but she never denied it when _I_ said it. I reminded her of the time when Julian Gray first heard from me that I was going to marry you: he was so overwhelmed that he was barely capable of being civil to me. Lady Janet was present, and could not deny it. I asked her if she had observed, since then, signs of a confidential understanding between you two. She could not deny the signs. I asked if she had ever found you two together. She could not deny that she had found you together, this very day, under circumstances which justified suspicion. Yes! yes! Look as angry as you like! you don’t know what has been going on upstairs. Lady Janet is bent on breaking off our engagement--and Julian Gray is at the bottom of it.” As to Julian, Horace was utterly wrong. But as to Lady Janet, he echoed the warning words which Julian himself had spoken to Mercy. She was staggered, but she still held to her own opinion. “I don’t believe it,” she said, firmly. He advanced a step, and fixed his angry eyes on her searchingly. “Do you know why Lady Janet sent for me?” he asked. “No.” “Then I will tell you. Lady Janet is a stanch friend of yours, there is no denying that. She wished to inform me that she had altered her mind about your promised explanation of your conduct. She said, ‘Reflection has convinced me that no explanation is required; I have laid my positive commands on my adopted daughter that no explanation shall take place.’ Has she done that?” “Yes.”