When the old maid had revolved these thoughts in her brain sufficiently, she rose to her feet and donning hat and shawl hastened from the house.
"You imagined that that poor woman you heard addressing me as husband that day was my wife," proceeded Barkswell, after a moment of silence, "but that was where the trouble came in and the mistake rose."
"Do you deny—"
"It is not necessary. That woman was my sister, but she has been out of her mind for years. Four years ago I placed her in an asylum near Rochester for treatment, and this spring she left the place, declared cured by the doctors. Of course I was overjoyed at this, and hastened to remove her to my home in this city, where I have resided for more than two years, as you know. Mother wished to keep the fact of her having a daughter secret until we were sure that the terrible malady would not return. It did return, and so we have kept my poor sister very close for some time. She has strange hallucinations, and imagines that I am her husband, and that she is ill-treated. It was a love affair that turned her brain, and I suppose this has much to do with her present hallucination."
In measured tones he uttered this information, and it did not seem possible that the man was uttering a deliberate lie.
Rose moved uneasily in her seat.
His dark eyes, full of an intense love-light, were fixed on her face.
He saw that his falsehood was having its effect.
"You no doubt wonder why you haven't heard of this sooner. You must remember that I have failed to gain an audience with you since that hour."
"August, are you speaking the truth?"