Julia clung to Bayle, and turned her flushed face to him as if asking help; while, with a look of calm contempt, he patted the hand he held, and glanced at Mrs Hallam, for something seemed to warn him that the crisis had arrived. "I have told you, Robert Hallam," she said, in a calm, firm voice, that grew in strength as she went on, "that from this hour we are separated, never to be man and wife again. I clung to you in all a woman's proud faith in her husband. I loved you as dearly as woman could love. When you were condemned of all, I defended you, and believed you honest." "Bah!" he exclaimed; "enough of this!" and he took a step forward, but quailed before her gaze. "You crushed my love. You made me your wretched innocent tool and slave when you brought me here, and at last you brutally told me all the cruel truth. Even then, heartbroken, I clung to you, and suffered in silence. God knows how I tried to bring you to penitence and a better life. I forgave all for the sake of our child; and in my love for her I would have gone on bearing all." "Have you nearly done?" he said mockingly. "Nearly," she said, in the same firm, clear tones; and she seemed to tower above him, pale and noble of aspect, while he, drink-brutalised and blotched, seemed to shrink. "I say I would have borne everything, even if you had beaten me like a dog. But when--oh, my God, judge between us and forgive me if I have done wrong!--when I am called upon to see my innocent child dragged down by you to the fate of being the wife of the villain who has been your partner in all your crimes, my soul revolts, and I say--from this hour all between us is at an end." "And I say," he yelled, "that you are my wife, this my child, and you shall obey me. Come; I am master here." He made a snatch at her arm, but she raised it before him, with outstretched palm, and her voice rang out with a cry that made him shrink and cower. "Stop!" There was a moment's utter silence, broken by the softly heard tramp of feet. "Husband no longer, father of my child no more. Robert Hallam, you are my convict servant! I discharge you. Leave this house!" Hallam took a step back, literally stunned by the words of the outraged woman, who for so long a time had been his slave, while Bayle uttered a long sighing sound as if relieved of some terrible weight. For a time no one spoke, but all turned from gazing on the prominent figure of that group, to Hallam, who stood clenching and unclenching his hands, and gasping as if trying to recover from the shock he had received. He essayed to speak as he glared at Mrs Hallam, and scowled at her as if each look were an arrow to wound and bring her to his feet humbled and appealing as of old; but the arrows glanced from the armour of indignant maternal love with which she was clothed; and, drawn up to her full height, scornful and defiant as she seemed, her look absolutely made him quail. _Tramp--tramp--tramp--tramp_.