So, involuntarily, did Mrs.Colwood.
"You don't mean to say"-- the speaker threw her body forward, and brought her face close to Mrs.Colwood--"you are not going to tell me that you don't know about Diana's mother ?" She laid her hand upon Muriel's dress.
"Why should I know?
Please, Miss Merton!" and with a resolute movement Mrs.Colwood tried to withdraw her dress.
"Why, _everybody_ knows!--everybody!--everybody! Ask anybody in the world about Juliet Sparling--and you'll see.

In the saloon, coming over, I heard people talk about her all one night--they didn't know who _I_ was--and of course I didn't tell.

And there was a book in the ship's library--_Famous Trials_--or some name of that sort--with the whole thing in it.

You don't know--about--Diana's _mother_ ?" The fierce, incredulous emphasis on the last word, for a moment, withered all reply on Mrs.Colwood's lips.

She walked to the door mechanically, to see that it was fast shut.