possession of a woman who was seated calmly by the table。
The stranger turned on Mrs。 Bunker that frankly insolent glance and
deliberate examination which only one woman can give another。 In
that glance Mrs。 Bunker felt herself in the presence of a superior；
even if her own eyes had not told her that in beauty； attire； and
bearing the intruder was of a type and condition far beyond her
own； or even that of any she had known。 It was the more crushing
that there also seemed to be in this haughty woman the same
incongruousness and sharp contrast to the plain and homely
surroundings of the cottage that she remembered in HIM。
〃Yo' aw Mrs。 Bunker； I believe；〃 she said in languid Southern
accents。 〃How de doh？〃
〃I am Mrs。 Bunker；〃 said Mrs。 Bunker shortly。
〃And so this is where Cunnle Marion stopped when he waited fo' the
boat to take him off；〃 said the stranger； glancing lazily around；
and delaying with smiling insolence the explanation she knew Mrs。
Bunker was expecting。 〃The cunnle said it was a pooh enough place；
but I don't see it。 I reckon； however； he was too worried to judge
and glad enough to get off。 Yo' ought to have made him talkhe
generally don't want much prompting to talk to women； if they're
pooty。〃
〃He didn't seem in a hurry to go；〃 said Mrs。 Bunker indignantly。
The next moment she saw her error； even before the cruel； handsome
smile of her unbidden guest revealed it。
〃I thought so；〃 she said lazily； 〃this IS the place and here's
where the cunnle stayed。 Only yo' oughtn't have given him and
yo'self away to the first stranger quite so easy。 The cunnle might
have taught yo' THAT the two or three hours he was with yo'。〃
〃What do you want with me？〃 demanded Mrs。 Bunker angrily。
〃I want a letter yo' have for me from Cunnle Marion。〃
〃I have nothing for you；〃 said Mrs。 Bunker。 〃I don't know who you
are。〃
〃You ought to； considering you've been acting as messenger between
the cunnle and me；〃 said the lady coolly。
〃That's not true；〃 said Mrs。 Bunker hotly； to combat an inward
sinking。
The lady rose with a lazy； languid grace； walked to the door and
called still lazily； 〃O Pedro！〃
The solitary rower clambered up the rocks and appeared on the
cottage threshold。
〃Is this the lady who gave you the letters for me and to whom you
took mine？〃
〃Si； senora。〃
〃They were addressed to a Mr。 Kirby；〃 said Mrs。 Bunker sullenly。
〃How was I to know they were for Mrs。 Kirby？〃
〃Mr。 Kirby； Mrs。 Kirby； and myself are all the same。 You don't
suppose the cunnle would give my real name and address？ Did you
address yo'r packet to HIS real name or to some one else。 Did you
let your husband know who they were for？〃
Oddly； a sickening sense of the meanness of all these deceits and
subterfuges suddenly came over Mrs。 Bunker。 Without replying she
went to her bedroom and returned with Colonel Marion's last letter；
which she tossed into her visitor's lap。
〃Thank yo'； Mrs。 Bunker。 I'll be sure to tell the cunnle how
careful yo' were not to give up his correspondence to everybody。
It'll please him mo' than to hear yo' are wearing his ringwhich
everybody knowsbefore people。〃
〃He gave it to mehehe knew I wouldn't take money；〃 said Mrs。
Bunker indignantly。
〃He didn't have any to give；〃 said the lady slowly； as she removed
the envelope from her letter and looked up with a dazzling but
cruel smile。 〃A So'th'n gentleman don't fill up his pockets when
he goes out to fight。 He don't tuck his maw's Bible in his breast…
pocket； clap his dear auntie's locket big as a cheese plate over
his heart； nor let his sole leather cigyar case that his gyrl gave
him lie round him in spots when he goes out to take another
gentleman's fire。 He leaves that to Yanks！〃
〃Did you come here to insult my husband？〃 said Mrs。 Bunker in the
rage of desperation。
〃To insult yo' husband！ WellI came here to get a letter that his
wife received from his political and natural enemy andperhaps I
DID！〃 With a side glance at Mrs。 Bunker's crimson cheek she added
carelessly； 〃I have nothing against Captain Bunker； he's a
straightforward man and must go with his kind。 He helped those
hounds of Vigilantes because he believes in them。 We couldn't
bribe him if we wanted to。 And we don't。〃
If she only knew something of this woman's relations to Marion
which she only instinctively suspectedand could retaliate upon
her； Mrs。 Bunker felt she would have given up her life at that
moment。
〃Colonel Marion seems to find plenty that he can bribe；〃 she said
roughly； 〃and I've yet to know who YOU are to sit in judgment on
them。 You've got your letter； take it and go！ When he wants to
send you another through me； somebody else must come for it； not
you。 That's all！〃
She drew back as if to let the intruder pass； but the lady； without
moving a muscle； finished the reading of her letter； then stood up
quietly and began carefully to draw her handsome cloak over her
shoulders。 〃Yo' want to know who I am； Mrs。 Bunker；〃 she said；
arranging the velvet collar under her white oval chin。 〃Well； I'm
a So'th'n woman from Figinya； and I'm Figinyan first； last； and all
the time。〃 She shook out her sleeves and the folds of her cloak。
〃I believe in State rights and slaveryif you know what that
means。 I hate the North； I hate the East； I hate the West。 I hate
this nigger Government； I'd kill that man Lincoln quicker than
lightning！〃 She began to draw down the fingers of her gloves；
holding her shapely hands upright before her。 〃I'm hard and fast
to the Cause。 I gave up house and niggers for it。〃 She began to
button her gloves at the wrist with some difficulty； tightly
setting together her beautiful lips as she did so。 〃I gave up my
husband for it； and I went to the man who loved it better and had
risked more for it than ever he had。 Cunnle Marion's my friend。
I'm Mrs。 Fairfax； Josephine Hardee that was； HIS disciple and
follower。 Well； maybe those puritanical No'th'n folks might give
it another name！〃
She moved slowly towards the door； but on the threshold paused；
as Colonel Marion had； and came back to Mrs。 Bunker with an
outstretched hand。 〃I don't see that yo' and me need quo'll。 I
didn't come here for that。 I came here to see yo'r husband； and
seeing YO' I thought it was only right to talk squarely to yo'； as
yo' understand I WOULDN'T talk to yo'r husband。 Mrs。 Bunker； I
want yo'r husband to take me awayI want him to take me to the
cunnle。 If I tried to go in any other way I'd be watched； spied
upon and followed； and only lead those hounds on his track。 I
don't expect yo' to ASK yo' husband for me； but only not to
interfere when I do。〃
There was a touch of unexpected weakness in her voice and a look of
pain in her eyes which was not unlike what Mrs。 Bunker had seen and
pitied in Marion。 But they were the eyes of a woman who had
humbled her； and Mrs。 Bunker would have been unworthy her sex if
she had not felt a cruel enjoyment in it。 Yet the dominance of the
stranger was still so strong that she did not dare to refuse the
proffered hand。 She； however； slipped the ring from her finger and
laid it in Mrs。 Fairfax's palm。
〃You can take that with you；〃 she said； with a desperate attempt to
imitate the other's previous indifference。 〃I shouldn't like to
deprive you and YOUR FRIEND of the opportunity of making use of it
again。 As for MY husband； I shall say nothing of you to him as
long as you say nothing to him of mewhich I suppose is what you
mean。〃
The insolent look came back to Mrs。 Fairfax's face。 〃I reckon yo'
're right；〃 she said quietly； putting the ring in her pocket as she
fixed her dark eyes on Mrs。 Bunker； 〃and the ring may be of use
again。 Good…by； Mrs。 Bunker。〃
She waved her hand carelessly； and turning away passed out of the
house。 A moment later the boat and its two occupants pushed from
the shore； and disappeared round the Point。
Then Mrs。 Bunker looked round the room； and down upon her empty
finger； and knew that it was the end of her dream。 It was all over
nowindeed； with the picture of that proud； insolent woman before
her she wondered if it had ever begun。 This was the woman she had
allowed herself to think SHE might be。 This was the woman HE was
thinking of when he sat there； this was the Mrs。 Fairfax the
officers had spoken of； and who had made herMrs。 Bunkerthe go…
between for their love…making！ All the work that she had done for
him； the deceit she had practiced on her husband； was to bring him
and this woman together！ And they both knew it； and had no doubt
laughed at her and her pretensions！
It was with a burning cheek that she thought how she had intended
to go to Marion； and imagined herself arriving perhaps to find that
shameless woman already there。 In her vague unformulated longings
she had never before realized the degradation into which her
foolish romance might lead her。 She saw it now； that humiliating
moral lesson we are all apt to experience in the accidental display
of our own particular vices in the person we hate； she had just
felt in Mrs。 Fairfax's presence。 With it came the paralyzing fear
of her husband's discovery of her secret。 Secu