"He is your own son, and he loves Pamela Graydon. She loves him too. Why, it was written on her face, if only I had had eyes to see. Yet she has engaged herself to another man! What is the meaning of it?" "I am bad at riddles, Kitty." "Anthony will unravel it--unless you will. Forgive me, Auntie Janie, but he had better know--that his letter to Mr. Graydon remained unposted. I do not know if there is anything else, but there is that." "How do you know that, Kitty?" "I couldn't help knowing it. A few days after Anthony had gone you sent me to the little inner drawer of your desk to find Madame Lefevre's address. Anthony's letter to Mr. Graydon lay on the top with the address uppermost. I never thought of it again till to-day." "What do you want me to do, Kitty? It is quite true that I abstracted the letter from the hall-box before it was emptied for the night-post. If you go to my desk again you will find the letter there with its seal unbroken. I guessed what it might contain. Curiously enough, the habits of a lifetime kept me from opening the letter, though I had stolen it." Lady Kitty made a deprecating gesture, but the elder woman went on coldly: "I wrote myself to Mr. Graydon--a merely formal letter explaining Anthony's absence. Afterwards I made an excuse of the Verschoyles--people I had almost forgotten--to go myself and see for myself. They lived in a barbarous way, as I thought they would; and I mistook Miss Graydon's _fiancé_ for an elderly mountain farmer. Then I asked the girl over here with the design--which you frustrated to some extent--of making her detest us. I also told her that you and Anthony were to be married, and that you had always been lovers." "Auntie Janie!" "Yes, Kitty; you may as well know the full extent of my wickedness." "But how could you do it? I have always known you as a proud and honourable woman." "I did it first of all for your sake, Kitty. I did think you cared for Anthony; and I thought that if this entanglement were out of the way he would care for you. I was mistaken all round." "I ought to have spoken, Auntie Janie. Ah! I see now how much trouble can come from even a little deceit." "What do you want me to do, Kitty?" "Anthony must know." "You have no thought but for Anthony." "The wrong must be undone--if it is possible now." "He will turn his back on me for ever." "He will remember that you are his mother." "I have given him no motherhood. All I had I gave to you--and I have lost you, too." "You have not lost me. Whatever you did we should be the same." "You think that now. But we can never be the same. However, about Anthony. I daresay I can live without Anthony. What do you want me to do?" "He must be told. Shall I tell him, Auntie Janie?" "No, I will tell him myself. You had better keep out of it. I shall tell him as soon as he comes here. Where is he?" "He went to let his uncle know he was called away. He will soon be back."