To her amazement, however, a strange woman stood in the door.
"Who are you that comes here at this late hour?" demanded the
half-frightened Isabella.
Without making any reply, Mrs. Miller pushed the quadroon aside,
and entered the house.
"What do you want here?" again demanded Isabella.
"I am in search of you," thundered the maddened Mrs. Miller; but
thinking that her object would be better served by seeming to be
kind, she assumed a different tone of voice, and began talking in
a pleasing manner.
In this way, she succeeded in finding out the connection existing
between Linwood and Isabella, and after getting all she could out
of the unsuspecting woman, she informed her that the man she so
fondly loved had been married for more than two years. Seized with
dizziness, the poor, heart-broken woman fainted and fell upon the
floor. How long she remained there she could not tell; but when
she returned to consciousness, the strange woman was gone, and her
child was standing by her side. When she was so far recovered as to
regain her feet, Isabella went to the door, and even into the
yard, to see if the old woman was not somewhere about.
As she stood there, the full moon cast its bright rays over her
whole person, giving her an angelic appearance and imparting to
her flowing hair a still more golden hue. Suddenly another change
came over her features, and her full red lips trembled as with
suppressed emotion. The muscles around her faultless mouth became
convulsed, she gasped for breath, and exclaiming, "Is it possible
that man can be so false!" again fainted.
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