"I could hardly help coming after what Ruth told me." Her brother was surprised at her composure. "What did she tell you?" "That the red pocket-book belonging to Jenner had been found by her in this house." "To be particular, the garret," said Mrs. Marshall, pointing to the table. "There it is." He looked at it with repugnance, and touched it gingerly. Then he opened it, glanced at the name, and laid it down with a sigh. There was no doubt it had been Jenner's property, the name was clear enough. "How did it come into your possession?" he asked, sharply. "That is not an easy question for me to answer." "Yet it can be answered, and must be, answered." "How do you know that I will comply with your 'must'?" she asked, with scorn. "Oh, I know you are hard to drive, but in this case you must speak out. I have the means to make you, that is if you have any regard for your husband." "You know how I love him, little as he deserves it. You are talking of the bill. Oh, don't look so astonished. Frank told me of his conversation with you. It was by my advice that he went away." "Inez, is it possible you can love so base a creature?" Mrs. Marshall sighed. "To you, Sebastian, I will say things I would not say to any other person. Little as we love one another, still we are brother and sister. I know you would do much for me." "I would do anything for you, Inez; blood is stronger than water, after all. And you can speak freely to me, your honour is my honour. I can hold my tongue. Speak out freely," he repeated. "I will," she said, and gave him the kindest look that had been in her eyes for many a long year. "You know how madly in love I was with Frank when I married him. It was not love, it was infatuation I believed him to be the most perfect and the most misunderstood man in the whole world. I blamed you for getting him out of the business, and I thought to repair your wrong by marrying him. Well, I did; and then what happened?" "I can guess. The scales fell from your eyes." "They did, within six months. For even then he deceived me. Yes, after all I had done for him. I had made him rich. I had--but that comes later on in the story. Suffice it to say, that I soon found out that I had married a faithless brute." "Why did you not get rid of him? I would have helped you." She cast a look around the dismal room and smiled strangely. "Because I had committed a sin. I came to look upon Frank as the cross laid upon me for the expiation of that sin." "Good Heavens, Inez! You don't mean to say you killed Jenner? No! What nonsense am I talking? You were in bed on that night." "I did not kill Jenner," she said, calmly. "Nevertheless I had committed a sin; you shall hear all in good time. Well, I took Frank as my cross, and put up all these years with his infidelities, and drunkenness, and wickedness. I behaved to him as though I still loved him. I have deceived everyone."