“What do you mean?” Susie’s gray eyes danced with anger. “That you are desperately and hopelessly in love with John Graham yourself, and that you haven’t pride and character enough to hold up your head before his indifference, and his patronising contempt. I have won him, and you come with cheap insults for the woman he loves.” Susie’s eyes grew dim. “Your accusation is infamously false,” she cried with choking emotion. “You deny that you love him?” Stella flashed. “I glory in it--if you will know!” Susie cried in dreamy tenderness. “I’ve always loved him with a girl’s blind worship of the hero of her dreams. And I shall cherish every gentle word that he has ever spoken to me. The impulse which brought me here wasn’t the vulgar desire to insult the woman he loves. I came to save his life.” Stella sprang to her feet, her face scarlet, her breath coming in quick gasps of anger. “What do you mean?” “I’ll tell you if you answer my questions. Do you dare tell me that you love him?” Stella drew herself up proudly. “You have no right to ask that question. But I answer it. I do love him and I have told him.” Susie confronted her with flashing eyes. “Then you have deceived him!” “How dare you thus insult me in my house,” Stella cried with flaming cheeks. “I’ll leave your house and never enter it again. You can also rest assured that John Graham’s foot will never again cross this threshold when I have told him the truth.” “When--you--have--told--him--the--truth!” Stella gasped. “What truth?” “That you have betrayed him and his people to his enemies.” “It’s false! It’s false!” Stella panted. “You lie. You lie, because you hate me! You hate me because you love him. Tell him if you dare. He will laugh in your face! Try it--try it--I dare you!” Her voice rose and fell, quivering and breaking in hoarse whispers of passion. Susie stood quietly and coldly staring at her with lips upturned in scorn. “If he doubts my word, Mr. Ackerman’s will be sufficient.” “Ackerman!” Stella moaned, staggering to the table. “Mr. Ackerman of the Secret Service who came here in answer to your call.” “He--has--told--you?” “Yes, and I know the whole black hideous truth. I know that you hate John Graham, that you have used your devil’s beauty to entrap and betray him.” “I swear that I love him!” Stella groaned as she sank to a chair. “As you’ve sworn to him no doubt while you lured him to his ruin. I hate you--I hate you--and I could strangle you!” The tall lithe form trembling with fury towered above Stella’s shivering little figure. “Susie, you are mistaken,” she faltered. “Come into the library a moment and I’ll convince you that you are wrong.” She seized Susie’s hand and led her into the library, sinking again into a chair. “See, here is a mortgage for ten thousand dollars on this house which I’ve prepared to raise the money for two great lawyers from the North who are coming to defend him.” “From the North?” “Yes.”