To his disordered brain it seemed that Eleanor was practising on him her woman's wiles for some unworthy purpose, and that treason lurked in her show of humanity and affection.

He believed that she, who had always believed in him, loved him, almost worshipped him, had become in an instant false and designing.
He looked her steadily in the face a moment or two before he answered, and she did not bear calmly the fierce glance of his eye; she saw at once that she had angered him, and, in spite of her love, she could not but know how dark and terrible was his anger.
"Who has set you on to talk to me of this ?" he said slowly, still keeping his eyes fixed on hers.
"Set me on, M.Robespierre! what do you mean?
Who should have set me on ?" "There are hundreds, I grieve to say, ready to do so.

Some of them are daily near you.

I should have thought, though, that with you I might have been safe." "Safe with me! And do you doubt it now--do you doubt that you are safe with me ?" and as she spoke, she laid her hand upon his arm, and attempted to appeal to his affection.

He gently withdrew his arm from her grasp, and again concealed his face with his hand.