Cora paused to wait for the effect of her words.
Mr. Fabian drove on slowly in silence.
"I sat there quite still, too much surprised to speak or move."
"And so you overheard that interview," said Mr. Fabian, with a dash of anger in his usually pleasant voice.
"I could not escape. I was amazed, spellbound, too confused to know what to do."
"Well?"
"I gathered from your words that you and she were either secretly married or secretly engaged to be married."
"That was your opinion."
"What other opinion could I form? You were providing her with a house and an income. She was speaking of herself as a daughter-in-law sure to be acceptable to your father and mother. Of course, I judged from that that you were either wedded or betrothed, which was an incomprehensible thing to me, who had been led to believe that the lady was the wife of Captain Stillwater, remaining in Baltimore to meet her husband, whose ship was then daily expected to arrive."
"You were wrong, Cora," said Mr. Fabian, now speaking in his natural tone without a shade of anger—quite wrong, my dear; there was nothing of the sort. I was never engaged to Mrs. Stillwater."