“Yes; he came at my brother’s invitation, my lord,” she said, lifting her head, and speaking defiantly.
“True; but at your invitation, and to serve a vile purpose of your own. It was through your maneuvering that he was introduced to Miss Douglas, and it was your taunts which spurred her on to disgrace herself and dance with him, in spite of her better judgment and my persuasions. I mistrusted something of it when it was too late, and you, by that last vile act, which I have only recently discovered, had separated us forever.”
“And pray what terrible deed have you discovered at this late day?” her ladyship demanded, sarcastically, although she was colorless as a piece of marble, and her lips twitched nervously.
“This! Do you remember ever seeing it before?”
He took from his pocket a folded paper, yellow and creased with age, and advancing, gave it into her hands.
For an instant she sat like one stunned, but she was livid even to her lips, and a trembling seized her which shook her like a reed.
“Where did you get this?” she whispered, hoarsely, after a moment.
“Accident threw it into my hands—how, it does not matter now; but it reveals all your vile plot to separate Meta and me, in which you succeeded only too well.”
“But how do you know that I had anything to do with this note? I do not see that you have proved what you assert at all,” she said, bridling.
“She gave that note to a servant to bring to me, you met her on the stairs, said you would deliver it, and then came and told me that Meta refused to see me then or at any other time; have I proved my point now?” he asked, sternly.