She felt, in spite of all her courage, some little timidity, when she found herself in those rooms alone. Her thoughts turned involuntarily to Earle--Earle, always tender and true, considerate of her comfort. What if this new lover, this rich young lord, should fail her, after all? She looked in a large mirror. Ah, no! he would not fail her; though she had been traveling all night, the dainty coloring of her exquisite face was unfaded. The light flashed in her eyes, in her golden hair; the smooth satin skin was fair as ever. There was not the faintest trace of fatigue on that radiant beauty, and then she started from her reverie. One of the servants brought her a card, she read on it the name of "Mr. Conyers," and she knew that Lord Vivianne was there. CHAPTER XXX. A THORN IN THE GARDEN OF ROSES. "I do not think anything could have been more cleverly managed," said Lord Vivianne. "You have brought nothing with you?" "No," she replied; and the thought rose in her mind, "I have left all I ought to value most behind;" but prudently enough refrained from speaking. "I do not see how it can be possible to trace us," he continued, "even should any one try." "Earle will try," she said, with a slight shudder. "He will look the world through, but he will find me in the end." Her face grew slightly pale as she spoke, and Lord Vivianne drew near to her. "You are not frightened at Earle, nor any one else, while you are with me, Dora?" He preferred this name to Doris, and the fanciful change pleased her greatly. "You need not be frightened, Dora," He continued. "You do not surely imagine that I am unable to take care of you?" "I was not thinking of you, but of Earle," she said, simply. "I am always rather frightened when I think of him: he loved me so very much, and losing me will drive him mad." An expression of impatience came over Lord Vivianne's face; he was passionately in love with the beautiful girl before him, but he had no intention to play the comforter in this the moment of his triumph. "Say no more of Earle, Dora; if he annoys you, so much the worse for him. Now we will order breakfast, then take the ten o'clock express for London. I had even thought of crossing over to Calais to-day, if you are not too tired." Her face brightened at the thought--Earle was already forgotten. "That will be charming," she replied, all graver thoughts forgotten in the one great fact that she was going where she would be admired beyond all words. Then, for the first time in her life, Doris sat down to a dainty and sumptuous breakfast. It was all novel to her, even this third-rate splendor of a Liverpool hotel. The noiseless, attentive servants--the respect and deference shown to them delighted her. "After all," she thought to herself, "this is better than Brackenside." Then Lord Vivianne turned to her with a smile.