They appear to have preferred to avoid me." "Is it matter for wonder ?" she flashed, with a sudden gleam of fury which she as suddenly controlled.

With the old indifference, she added, "You do not seem perturbed, monsieur ?" "On the contrary, mademoiselle; I am very deeply perturbed." "At not having seen your betrothed ?" she asked, and now for the first time her eyes were raised, and they met mine with a look that was a stab.
"Mademoiselle, I had the honour of telling you yesterday that I had plighted my troth to no living woman." At that reminder of yesterday she winced, and I was sorry that I had uttered it, for it must have set the wound in her pride a-bleeding again.

Yesterday I had as much as told her that I loved her, and yesterday she had as much as answered me that she loved me, for yesterday I had sworn that Saint-Eustache's story of my betrothal was a lie.

To-day she had had assurance of the truth from the very woman to whom Lesperon's faith was plighted, and I could imagine something of her shame.
"Yesterday, monsieur," she answered contemptuously, "you lied in many things." "Nay, I spoke the truth in all.

Oh, God in heaven, mademoiselle," I exclaimed in sudden passion, "will you not believe me?
Will you not accept my word for what I say, and have a little patience until I shall have discharged such obligations as will permit me to explain ?" "Explain ?" quoth she, with withering disdain.
"There is a hideous misunderstanding in all this.