She looked up at him tremblingly, striving to read in his inscrutable face the meaning of his words.
"You shall not only see the child for an hour; you shall live here, in the same house with it, as long as you like." Then, as she would have cried out, he put up one hand to stop her, and laughed, and went on mercilessly: "But on one condition. I have told you that no one here knows anything of my story; they believe, I think, that the mother of the child is dead. Let them still think so. The condition I impose is that you shall remain in this house, under the name by which I first knew you; that you shall occupy the position of housekeeper; that you shall see the child, and attend to her wants in every way, and at any time you like. I have discovered to-night that she has been somewhat neglected by the person I paid to look after her; you will have a deeper interest in her than that, and may be trusted, I think, to look after her well." He laughed again, then suddenly stepped across to her and took her fiercely by the arms and looked into her eyes. "But understand this: She is to know nothing of the relationship that exists between you; she will know you only as a paid dependent. The instant that, from any endearment you give her, or any word you let slip, she learns that you are her mother, you leave this place, and see her no more! Do you understand that?"
She shrank away from him and covered her face with her hands. "Oh, I can not, I can not!" she cried.
He pointed to the door. "Go as you came; you have no right here; I have been a fool to permit you to stay even so long as this. Go at once, or I will have you turned from the doors!"
"No, no, stop!" she cried. "If there is no other way, I accept your condition."
"Good. But you must clearly understand that you have absolutely no interest in the child's life; she goes or comes as I bid or as I permit; you have no voice in anything which concerns her. But you may see her, provided always that you respect that condition, and that she does not learn of the relationship between you. The instant I discover that she even guesses what it is, you leave this house, and you never return. Is that clear?"
"Yes, yes, I accept. Indeed, if there is no other way--and I know I deserve not even so much as this--if there is no other way, then I am grateful."