"Yes! I did not think your conduct was right, so, as your wife has most influence with you, I wrote and told her to call you back to Ellington."
All the blood in his body seemed to surge up into his head with the violent effort he made to suppress his anger. Had it been any one else but this feeble old woman, he would have simply let his passion master him, but in this case, with such an adversary he could do nothing.
"God forgive you, Aunt Jelly," he said at length, "you've done a cruel thing," and he turned and walked slowly to the door.
"I have done what was right," said Miss Corbin bravely. "You were deceiving your wife, and I was determined she should know of your deception."
Sir Guy turned towards her as he paused at the door, and when she finished speaking, answered her slowly and deliberately.
"You are quite wrong. I was not deceiving my wife, as I can prove to you. As you know, my wife has treated me very cruelly during the last year, and neglected me in every way, giving all her love to the child. Eustace came down the other day, and advised me to leave my wife for a few weeks, thinking she would not be so indifferent on my return. I took his advice and came up to Town. Eustace took me to Mrs. Veilsturm, and finding her a very pleasant woman, I simply went there in order to amuse myself. But as for caring about her, I love and respect my wife and my name too much to degrade myself so far. Unluckily, until the other day, I did not remember that Alizon disliked Mrs. Veilsturm, because she was mixed up with her father in some way, and forbade her to visit at the Hall. Had I remembered this, I would not have gone there, but it's too late now to think of it. By believing all these malicious stories, which I give you my word of honour have no foundation, and writing to her, she will believe that I went to see this woman on purpose, and she will never forgive me. I am going down to the Hall by to-night's train, and will try and explain everything to her, but I'm afraid she will not believe me. No doubt you acted for the best, Aunt Jelly, but in doing so you have simply ruined my life."
"Guy! Guy!" moaned the old woman, who had listened to all this with a sense of stunned amazement. "Forgive me! I did it for the best, but I will write again and tell her how wrong I have been."
"It is too late," he replied sadly, "too late."
"No, it's not too late, Guy. But forgive me! forgive me!"
Errington looked at her coldly.