“Then this hundred pounds surely is your due,” Mrs. Farnum said, as she drew it from the envelope and held it out to the young wife.

Virgie drew back haughtily.

“Do you suppose that I would accept as charity a paltry sum like that?—­for Lady Linton sent it as such, and as a sort of remuneration for what I suffer.  It is an outrage which I cannot brook, and I am amazed at the audacity that prompted it.”

So was Mrs. Farnum amazed, and she saw at once that Lady Linton had unwittingly committed a great blunder.  She had never dreamed that Virgie had had money at the time of her marriage, and she imagined that Lady Linton was also ignorant that her brother had taken back to England a fortune belonging to the girl whom they were thus seeking to wrong.

Matters were getting complicated, and she almost wished that she had never allowed herself to become involved in them.

“You should have kept your marriage certificate,” she faltered, “every wife should do that—­then you could have proved your claim.”

“I shall prove it yet,” Virgie declared, in a clear, decisive voice.  “Do you imagine I am going to sit tamely down and allow a stigma to rest upon this innocent child if there is any power on earth to prevent it?  In spite of all that you have told me, or all that your friends have written, I know that I am Sir William Heath’s lawful wife.  If he committed a rash and impulsive act, and one which he regrets now, while he was in America and while he was bound by other ties in England he must suffer the consequences.  I cannot understand how he has dared to perpetrate such a farce, were he a thousand times engaged to Miss Stanhope; how he has dared to so wrong and compromise one of his own countrywomen, for, just so sure as we both live, it will all be exposed sooner or later.  All this I will do for the sake of my child; then——­”

“Then?” repeated Mrs. Farnum, leaning eagerly toward the resolute girl.

“Then I will repudiate him.  I will never look upon his face again.  I will give him his freedom—­will divorce myself from him; and then, if the woman who now believes herself to be his wife wishes it, or will accept it, he can make the tie between them legal.”

“You will obtain a divorce?” said her companion, with an exultant thrill.

This was something she had never thought of before She and Lady Linton had both hoped to estrange this fond couple, then make Sir William believe in his wife’s infidelity, and work upon his feelings and pride until he should be willing to seek a divorce; but they had never imagined that Virgie would be the one to suggest such a measure.  Such a preceding on her part would wonderfully facilitate matters, and Mrs. Farnum, who a few minutes previous began to be disheartened, was greatly encouraged.

“Exactly,” Virgie replied.  “Do you imagine that I desire to hold Sir William Heath unwillingly bound to me?  Do you think that I would ever have consented to become his wife if I had known that any one had a prior claim upon him?  But, are you sure that he was engaged to Miss Stanhope before he came to America?” the young wife asked, as doubt again arose in her mind.