"I'm not mad, I wasn't mad when I did it, but I think I'll go mad soon!" Then she rose and fell on her knees at Rachel's feet. "Rachel, save me—if you don't have mercy on me I'm disgraced. Johnstone has accused me of—of wrong-doing; he believes I'm an unfaithful wife, that I've committed the worst sins; he accuses me of everything horrible; he says I love Belhaven too well!"
Rachel's face quivered. "Do you?" she asked faintly.
Eva burst into tears, weeping passionately, her pretty head bowed so low that it wrung Rachel's heart to see her humiliation.
"Do you love him, Eva?" she asked again, very low. "I know he loves you."
"With all my heart!" sobbed Eva, "and he loves me—Johnstone is cruel!"
"I don't think Johnstone cruel to want his wife to cease loving another man! Eva, what have you done?"
Eva, still clinging to her sister, averted her face.
"Why don't you answer me?"
"Rachel, it's all too dreadful—Johnstone must have set that wretch, Craggs, to watch me, I—I couldn't say a word to Belhaven, he followed us about so, I—Rachel, Johnstone believes some story Craggs has told him—"
Rachel seemed suddenly turned to stone. "You mean about you and Belhaven? Eva, what mad indiscretion has led to this? It's past forgiveness; how could you do it?"