"I have need of faith," she said, "for I have heard a strange story about you. I denied it, I deny it now, but I should be better pleased with your denial also." "What is the story?" he asked, anxiously, and her quick ear detected the anxiety of his voice. "Lady Ilfield has been here this afternoon, and tells me that last Tuesday you were with Madame Vanira at Ousely, that you rowed her on the river, and that Captain Blake spoke to you there. Is it true?" "Lady Ilfield is a mischief-making old----" began Lord Chandos, but his wife's sweet, pale face startled him. "Lance," she cried, suddenly, "oh, my God, it is not true?" The ring of pain and passion in her voice frightened him; she looked at him with eyes full of woe. "It is not true?" she repeated. "Who said it was true?" he asked, angrily. Then there was a few minutes of silence between them; and Lady Marion looked at him again. "Lance," she said, "is it true?" Their eyes met, hers full of one eager question. His lips parted; her whole life seemed to hang on the word that was coming from his lips. "Is it true?" she repeated. He tried to speak falsely, he would have given much for the power to say "No." He knew that one word would content her--that she would believe it implicitly, and that she would never renew the question. Still with that fair, pure face before him--with those clear eyes fixed on him--he could not speak falsely, he could not tell a lie. He could have cried aloud with anguish, yet he answered, proudly: "It is true, Marion." "True?" she repeated, vacantly, "true, Lance?" "Yes, the gossips have reported correctly; it is quite true." But he was not prepared for the effect of the words on her. Her fair face grew pale, her tender arms released their hold and fell. "True?" she repeated, in a low, faint voice, "true that you took Madame Vanira out for a day, and that you were seen by these people with her?" "Yes, it is true," he replied. And the poor child flung her arms in the air, as she cried out: "Oh, Lance, it is a sword in my heart, and it has wounded me sorely." CHAPTER LII. A GATHERING CLOUD. It was strange that she should use the same words which Leone had used. "I cannot bear it, Lance," she said. "Why have you done this?" He was quite at a loss what to say to her; he was grieved for her, vexed with those who told her, and the mental emotions caused him to turn angrily round to her. "Why did you take her? What is Madame Vanira to you?" she asked. "My dear Marion, can you see any harm in my giving madame a day's holiday and rest, whether on water or on land?" She was silent for a minute before she answered him. "No," she replied, "the harm lay in concealing it from me; if you had told me about it I would have gone with you."