"Not—in that way."
"In that way precisely. John Arthur tortured my mother until she died heart-broken. He made my childhood miserable, and shut me up in a convent to pass my girlhood in loneliness. He bartered me in marriage to a man older and uglier than himself, for ten thousand dollars. Then I defied him to his face; swore to revenge upon him my mother's wrongs and mine; and ran away. Do you understand now why I have allowed you to persecute John Arthur?"
Cora's courage began to revive. "I think I do," she said, slowly.
"You see, Mrs. Arthur, it is in my power to arrest you; first, for Bigamy, and second, for Attempted Poisoning."
Cora looked at her coolly. "But you won't do either," she said.
"Won't I? And why not?"
"Because, to do either, you must bring your own name into too prominent notice."
Madeline laughed scornfully.
