"Mr. Lee put me back so fiercely that I almost fell. He went right up to the woman where she lay shivering and shaking till her white dress heaved and fluttered like a snow-heap in the wind. He was pale as a sheet, and his eyes looked mad as fire when he turned them toward me; but I stood my ground like a marble image planted on a rock. I hadn't come sailing over the raging ocean, like a pelican in the wilderness, to be looked down by him or fainted down by her—not I, if I know myself, which I think I do.
"'My darling,' says he, bending over her, 'why should the sight of this wild girl agitate you so? She can have no influence on me.'
"Babylon seemed to get strength from this. She lifted up her head, flung the veil back from her face, and looked me through and through with her wild eyes.
"'She is put up to this. They hate me. It is another effort to prejudice you against me. You remember the last. Now they will no doubt resort to forgery. People who write anonymous letters will not hesitate to go further. Oh! they will separate us—they will separate us!'
"'Is this book a forgery?' says I, holding up the purple journal. 'Is this writing yours?'
"Her face seemed to cramp up; her lips turned blue-white.
"That moment Cora made a leap upon me, and snatched at the book like a hungry wolf; but I wrenched it away from her, and pressed myself back against the wall, holding it behind me.
"That moment James came in and stood by me like a hero, as he is.
"'No you don't,' said I; 'no person touches this book till Mr. Lee has read it.'
"Mrs. Dennison turned her eyes upon me—such beautiful begging eyes—that, if it hadn't been for my dead lady, I might have given up the book; but I thought of her, and was firm as a rock. 'Leave this room,' said Mr. Lee, turning upon me like a lion. 'How dare you come here!'