And Lady Marion, whose heart was touched by the pitiful words, looked up and kissed her. "I cannot hate you, since you love him," she said. "He is mine, but my heart aches for you. Now let me tell you what I have come to say. You are good and noble as I felt you were. I have come to ask a grace from you, and it is easier now that I know you love him. How strange it seems. I should have thought that hearing you say that you loved my husband would have filled my heart with hot anger, but it does not; in some strange way I love you for it." "If you love him, madame, his interests must be dear to you." "They are dear to me," she whispered. "How strange," repeated Lady Marion, "that while the world is full of men you and I should love the same man." "Ah, life is strange," said Leone; "peace only comes with death." CHAPTER LXI. A SACRIFICE. Lady Marion raised herself so that she could look into the face of her beautiful rival. "Now I will tell you," she said; "you are going to Berlin; you have an engagement at the Royal Opera House there, and my husband wishes to go there, too. But we all oppose it; his parents for social reasons, and I--I tell you frankly, because I am jealous of you, and cannot bear that he should follow you there. I have asked him to give up the idea, but he refuses--he will not listen to me. I have said that if he goes there, I will never see him or speak to him again, and I must keep my word. So, madame, I have come to you; I appeal to you, do not let him go: you can prevent it if you will." Leone's dark eyes flashed fire. "There is no harm in our friendship," she said; "would you take from me the only gleam of happiness I have in the world?" But Lady Marion did not seem to hear the wild words; the same raptures of holy love had come over her face, and she blushed until she looked like a lovely, glowing rose. "Think how I trust you," she said; "I have come to tell you that which I have told to no one. I have come to tell you that which, if ever there has been any particular friendship between you and my husband, must end it. I have come to tell you that which will show that now--now you must not take my husband from me.