She rose hurriedly from her seat. He saw that her lips quivered and her hands trembled; she was agitated and confused. "Give me time," she said. "You frighten me. I can hardly understand. I must go now; they will think that I am lost." He rose with her, and stood by her side. "You will keep the ring, Doris, for my sake, in memory of the time when I first saw you?" "I will keep it," she replied, hastily. "Oh, Lord Vivianne, let me go; I am frightened--this is so different to being with Earle. Let me go." "You will meet me again," he urged, "say on Friday--you will not refuse--at this same time and same place? I will lavish the luxury of the whole world on you, if you will only care for me." But now that her ambition was satisfied, was realized, she was frightened at her own success, and hastened away. CHAPTER XXV. THE FALSE LIPS OF WOMAN. Earle was not the only one who found Doris changed. She had hastened home from that interview almost wild with excitement. Could it be that the wildest dream of her life was realized at last; that this handsome lord had offered her every luxury in the world; it seemed too bright a vision to be real; she was obliged to look again at the diamond on her finger to convince herself of its truth. Mark Brace and his wife, as well as Mattie, wondered when Doris reached home, where her animation and high spirits had gone. Mattie spoke, and she seemed hardly to hear her; her mother asked her some trifling question and she made no answer. She was like one in a dream. As a rule she was the delight and torment of Mark's life. As they sat together in the evening, she would puzzle him with questions--she would tease, irritate, charm, and annoy him. But on this night Doris said no word, and Mark fancied it was because Earle was away. He sat looking at her with great solemn eyes, wondering who could fathom the mysteries of a woman's heart. He had never thought Doris fond of Earle, yet there she was, wretched, miserable, and lonely, because he was away. How little he guessed that in her mind Earle was already of the past. She had loved him as well as it was in her power to love any one, but that was not much; and now that the grand temptation of her life was before her all regard for Earle sank into insignificance. She was faint with wonder, and amazed that she, Doris Brace should have made such a conquest; her heart beat with delight, then sank with fear. Was he only trifling with her, this handsome lord? Her face flushed proudly. "If I thought he was only trifling with me," she said to herself, "I should know how to treat him." Then one look at the jewel on her finger reassured her. "Gentlemen do not give jewels that cost hundreds of pounds unless they really love and intend marriage." There was some assurance of success in the gleam of the diamond. She had been obliged to remove the ring lest her mother and Mattie might see it.