"Woman alive, I was afraid to tell anybody, for fear the secret would get out, and put him on his guard, and spoil my fun!" exclaimed the lady from Wild Cats'.
"Why, this way--prevent me from doing what I wanted to do."
"And what was that? Anything more than stopping the wedding?"
"Yes, indeed! It would have stopped the wedding days before it did if I had let on to you, or to any one else, that he had a wife living, and I was she! Why, the very hint of the thing would have stopped the wedding! But I wanted to put him to a public shame, and make an example of him! I wanted to give him rope enough to hang himself. And to let him pile up wrath against the day of wrath! And so I laid low, and said nothing to nobody until I found him at the altar, with the bride by his side, and then I denounced and disgraced him, in the great congregation of the people!"
Just at this moment a servant entered the room, and handed a note to Mrs. Force.
The lady changed color as she recognized the handwriting, and opened the envelope.
"I have been waiting and watching for two days, with the patience of a determined man of set and immutable purpose, to get an opportunity for a private interview with you. The opportunity has now rewarded my vigilance. Meet me at once, in the house or out of it."
Mrs. Force put the note into the fire, saw it blaze and consume in an instant, and then arose, saying to her guests:
"You bet! I know a housekeeper has got to look after her help, I reckon, or there'd be fine doings. We weren't plagued with help at Wild Cats'--not much we weren't! But go along with you now!" said Mrs. Anglesea.
"Is it a bill? I hate bills! 'Specially when I haven't got the money to pay 'em, though I am descended from the Duke of----"
But Mrs. Force had gone to the door, passed out, closed it behind her, and was speaking to the man who had brought the note.
"Where is the gentleman who gave you this?"
"It was the colonel, ma'am," replied the man, in a low voice, as if conscious of naming an objectionable visitor; "and he is standing at the front door."
"Then bring him into the drawing room," she said, as she passed on and entered the place first.
She threw herself into a deep-cushioned chair by the fire, and covered her pale and quivering face with her hands.