.

.

I hope you don't mind ?" "No, no, not at all--hem! I hope Lady Blakeney is well," said Chauvelin, hurriedly changing the topic of conversation.
Blakeney, with much deliberation, finished his plate of soup, drank his glass of wine, and, momentarily, it seemed to Marguerite as if he glanced all round the room.

"Quite well, thank you," he said at last, drily.

There was a pause, during which Marguerite could watch these two antagonists who, evidently in their minds, were measuring themselves against one another.