To give her no chance of such dodging, Lucian rapidly detailed the evidence against her so that she would be hard put to baffle it.

But in this estimate he quite underrated Lydia's nerve and capability of fence, let alone the dexterity with which she produced a satisfactory reply to each of his questions.
"We will begin at the beginning, Mrs.Vrain," he said soberly, "say from the time you drove your unfortunate husband out of his own house." "Now, I guess that wasn't my fault," explained Lydia.

"I wasn't in love with old man Mark, but I liked him well enough, for he was a real gentleman; and when that make-mischief Diana, who cocked her nose at me, set out for Australia, we got on surprisingly well.

Count Ferruci came over to stay, as much at Mark's invitation as mine, and I didn't pay too much attention to him anyhow." "Miss Tyler says you did!" "Sakes!" cried Mrs.Vrain, raising her eyebrows, "have you been talking to that old stump?
Well, just you look here, Mr.Denzil! It was Bella Tyler who made all the mischief.

She thought Ercole was sweet on her, and when she found out he wasn't, she got real mad, and went to tell Mark that I was making things hum the wrong way with the Count.