"She was in a consumption, and was quite aware that her recovery was hopeless. She had grown to care for you as if you were her own child, and her object in sending for me was not merely that I might nurse her through her last illness, but that after she was gone I might have the permanent charge of you, at any rate for several years to come; nor did she rest satisfied till she had extracted a promise from her husband that her wishes in this respect should be faithfully observed by him. Me, two days before she died, she bound by a solemn promise that only under the most extreme circumstances would I ever reveal the true story of your parentage."
In view of the amazing confession just made by the elder woman, mother and daughter found no lack of subjects to talk about, but it was not till an hour later that a new and, to her, very surprising thought struck Anna.
"If you are my mother," she said, "and of course you are, then Felix cannot be my half brother?"
"That is very true," replied Mrs. Jenwyn, with a faint smile. She had been waiting for Anna to make the discovery.
"Nor any relation at all. Oh, dear! I am very, very sorry for that. I always loved Felix--although, all the same, I used to stand a little bit in awe of him. And now, I suppose I've no right to love him any more. But perhaps you don't intend to tell him even a part of that which you have just told me. In that case, matters would go on as they have always done, and he would continue to think of me and to treat me as his sister."
"And, knowing what you know now, would you be content to go on living on money to which you have no right?"
Anna looked dumfounded.
"I had not thought of that," she said. "No, I suppose I should not be content--indeed, I am quite sure I should not be. But what is to be done?"
"There is only one way out of the difficulty, and that is, for Anna Drelincourt to die."
"Good gracious, Tetta--I mean, mother dearest--you frighten me!"