at women
are. I too was soft-hearted--I said, Very well: yes! In a week more
(I tremble as I think of it) we are to be married.'

She did really tremble--she was obliged to pause and compose herself,
before she could go on. The Doctor, waiting for more facts, began to
fear that he stood committed to a long story. 'Forgive me for
reminding you that I have suffering persons waiting to see me,' he
said. 'The sooner you can come to the point, the better for my
patients and for me.'

The strange smile--at once so sad and so cruel--showed itself again on
the lady's lips. 'Every word I have said is to the point,' she
answered. 'You will see it yourself in a moment more.'

She resumed her narrative.

'Yesterday--you need fear no long story, sir; only yesterday--I was
among the visitors at one of your English luncheon parties. A lady, a
perfect stranger to me, came in late--after we had left the table, and
had retired to the drawing-room. She happened to take a chair near me;
and we were presented to each other. I knew her by name, as she knew
me. It was the woman whom I had robbed of her lover, the woman who had
written the noble letter. Now listen! You were impatient with me for
not interesting you in what I said just now. I said it to satisfy your
mind that I had no enmity of feeling towards the lady, on my side. I
admired her, I felt for her--I had no cause to reproach myself. This
is very important, as you will presently see. On her side, I have
reason to be assured that the circumstances had been truly explained to
her, and that she understood I was in no way to blame. Now, knowing
all these necessary things as you do, explain to me, if you can, why,
when I rose and met that woman's eyes looking at me, I turned cold from
head to foot, and shuddered, and shivered, and knew what a deadly panic
of fear was, for the first time in my life.'

The Doctor began to feel interested at last.

'Was there anything remarkable in the lady's personal appearance?' he
asked.

'Nothing whatever!' was the vehement reply. 'Here is the true
description of her:--The ordinary English lady; the clear cold blue
eyes, the fine rosy complexion, the inanimately polite manner, the
large good-humoured mouth, the too plump cheeks and chin: these, and
nothing more.'

'Was there anything in her expression, when you first looked at her,
that took you by surprise?'

'There was natural curiosity to see the woman who had been preferred to
her; and