ut is his own pleasure, and
lately he's decided it would be pleasant to get hold of a piece of real
money--and there was Edith! And he'll marry her! Nothing on earth can
stop him unless he finds out she won't HAVE any money if she marries
him, and the only person that could make him understand that is Father
Sheridan. Somehow, that's got to be managed, because Lamhorn is going to
hurry it on as fast as he can. He told me so last night. He said he was
going to marry her the first minute he could persuade her to it--and
little Edith's all ready to be persuaded!" Sibyl's eyes flashed green
again. "And he swore he'd do it," she panted. "He swore he'd marry Edith
Sheridan, and nothing on earth could stop him!"

And then Mary understood. Her lips parted and she stared at the babbling
creature incredulously, a sudden vivid picture in her mind, a canvas of
unconscious Sibyl's painting. Mary beheld it with pity and horror: she
saw Sibyl clinging to Robert Lamhorn, raging, in a whisper, perhaps--for
Roscoe might have been in the house, or servants might have heard.
She saw Sibyl entreating, beseeching, threatening despairingly, and
Lamhorn--tired of her--first evasive, then brutally letting her have the
truth; and at last, infuriated, "swearing" to marry her rival. If Sibyl
had not babbled out the word "swore" it might have been less plain.

The poor woman blundered on, wholly unaware of what she had confessed.
"You see," she said, more quietly, "whatever's going to be done ought to
be done right away. I went over and told Mother Sheridan what I'd heard
about Lamhorn--oh, I was open and aboveboard! I told her right before
Edith. I think it ought all to be done with perfect frankness, because
nobody can say it isn't for the girl's own good and what her best friend
would do. But Mother Sheridan's under Edith's thumb, and she's afraid
to ever come right out with anything. Father Sheridan's different. Edith
can get anything she wants out of him in the way of money or ordinary
indulgence, but when it comes to a matter like this he'd be a steel
rock. If it's a question of his will against anybody else's he'd make
his will rule if it killed 'em both! Now, he'd never in the world let
Lamhorn come near the house again if he knew his reputation. So, you
see, somebody's got to tell him. It isn't a very easy position for me,
is it, Miss Vertrees?"

"No," said Mary, gravely.

"Well, to be frank," said Sibyl, smiling, "that's why I've come