a fear lest Alma, through intimacy with Redgrave, might have discovered things which put her in a position to dare the enmity of her former friend.  This, no doubt, would hold Sibyl to discretion.  Yet it could not relieve Alma from the fear of her, and of Hugh Carnaby himself —­ fear which must last a lifetime; which at any moment, perhaps long years hence, might find its bitter fulfilment, and work her ruin.  For Harvey Rolfe was not a man of the stamp of Hugh Carnaby:  he would not be hoodwinked in the face of damning evidence, or lend easy ear to specious explanations.  The very fact that she could explain her ambiguous behaviour was to Alma an enhancement of the dread with which she thought of such a scene between herself and Harvey; for to be innocent, and yet unable to force conviction of it upon his inmost mind, would cause her a deeper anguish than to fall before him with confession of guilt.  And to convince him would be impossible, for ever impossible.  Say what she might, and however generous the response of his love, there must still remain the doubt which attaches to a woman’s self-defence when at the same time she is a self-accuser

In the semi-delirium of her illness, whilst waiting in torment for the assurance that Carnaby had kept her secret, she more than once prayed for Sibyl’s death.  In her normal state of mind Alma prayed for nothing; she could not hope that Sibyl’s life would come to a convenient end; but as often as she thought of her, it was with a vehemence of malignity which fired her imagination to all manner of ruthless extremes.  It revolted her to look back upon the time when she sat at that woman’s feet, a disciple, an affectionate admirer, allowing herself to be graciously patronised, counselled, encouraged.  The repose of manner which so impressed her, the habitual serenity of mood, the unvarying self-confidence —­ oh, these were excellent qualities when it came to playing the high part of cold and subtle hypocrisy!  She knew Sibyl, and could follow the workings of her mind:  a woman incapable of love, or of the passion which simulates it; worshipping herself, offering luxuries to her cold flesh as to an idol; scornful of the possibility that she might ever come to lack what she desired; and, at the critical moment, prompt to secure herself against such danger by the smiling, cynical acceptance of whatsoever shame.  Alma had no small gift of intuition; proved by the facility and fervour with which she could adapt her mind to widely different conceptions of life.  This characteristic, aided by the perspicacity which is bestowed upon every jealous woman, perchance enabled her to read the mysterious Sibyl with some approach to exactness.  Were it so, prudence should have warned her against a struggle for mere hatred’s sake with so formidable an antagonist.  But the voice of caution had never long audience with Alma, and was not likely, at any given moment, to prevail against a transport of her impetuous soul.