"So he is admired, for his handsome face," replied Lord Charter. She repeated the name again, as though she were saying it softly to herself. "Is there a Lady Vivianne?" she asked, after a pause. "Not yet," was the reply; "but from what I hear there is a prospect of one." Then he laughed a little. "You are a stranger among us, Lady Studleigh; you will hardly understand that, at one time or another, almost every prominent man in London has been jealous of Lord Vivianne." "Indeed! He must be a paragon, then." There was something of a sneer in her voice, but he did not perceive it. "Not exactly a paragon, Lady Studleigh; but--I repeat it--a flirt." "And he is to be married, you say? I should not imagine the lot to be a very bright one for the lady." "You take things very literally, Lady Studleigh. I cannot vouch for the fact that he is going to be married, but there is a rumor afloat that we all enjoy very much. It is that, after flirting half his lifetime, Lord Vivianne is caught at last." She tried to look politely indifferent. Great heavens! how her heart was beating, how every nerve thrilled, how intense was the excitement! She had not known how frightened she had been at the idea of meeting him until now! "I am afraid," said Lord Charter, "that you do not take any interest in my friend." "Yes, I do. To whom has he surrendered his liberty at last?" "No one knows," was the answer, given with an air of candor that would at any other time have greatly amused Lady Doris. "There is a mystery about it. Lord Vivianne has been spending some little time in Florence, and there it is supposed he fell in love with a princess in disguise." Despite the Studleigh courage and her own strong nerve, she could not prevent herself from growing pale; her heart beat loud with a terrible fear; the lights seemed to swim in one confused mass before her eyes; then with a violent effort she controlled herself. "Florence," she repeated; "he went far enough afield for his romance. Why was the princess disguised?" "It may be all nonsense. I have heard many different stories; some say that his heroine was really a person of low birth and humble position. I cannot tell; I only know one thing." How her heart beat as she repeated those two words. "One thing! What is it?" "Why, that love, or something else, has quite changed Lord Charles Vivianne. He used to be gay, good-humored, slightly cynical; now he is gloomy, sullen, and bad-tempered. I heard a friend of his say that he seemed to be always looking for some one." The beautiful face, in spite of all her efforts, grew paler. "Looking for some one! What a strange idea!" she said. "Perhaps the lady refused him, and he wants to be revenged. Perhaps she jilted him, and he is looking for her," laughed Lord Charter, little dreaming how near he was to the truth.