So she would not oppose him, she would not argue with him, but left him to take his own way. The handsome face grew shadowed, the frank eyes troubled. It is very hard when a man cannot force any one to contradict him. He rose from his chair, he walked uneasily up and down the room; he spoke almost nervously on one or two points and then he said: "Mother, I suppose you know what I intend doing." She looked up at him with the blandest smile and the sweetest air. "Doing, Lance--about the boat to-night, do you mean?" She purposely affected to misunderstand him. "The boat?" he repeated. "No, I mean about--my--my--future--my marriage." "I cannot say that I know what you intend doing, Lance, but I am quite sure you will never again have the bad taste to offend your father and me. I can trust you so far." He looked still more uncomfortable; he could always manage the countess better when she was angry than when she was amiable. He stopped abruptly before her, and looking at her said: "I must marry Leone, mother, I must." "Very well, Lance. When you are twenty-one, you can do as you like." "Oh, mother," cried the young lord, "be more humane, do not be so frigid and cold; speak to me about it. I am your only son, surely my marriage is a matter of some importance to you." There was a passion of entreaty in his voice, and Lady Lanswell looked kindly at him. "Certainly your marriage is of more importance than anything else on earth; but you cannot expect me to look with favor on that tempestuous young person who ranted at me like a third-rate actress from a traveling theater; you must excuse me, Lance, but there are limits to human endurance, and she is beyond mine." "Mother, let me be happy, let me go and marry her, let me bring her back here and we shall all be happy together." "My dear Lance, I should not consider a person of her position a fit companion for my maid; for myself, I quite declare I shall not oppose your marriage with the girl--it is quite useless, since you are of age, to do as you like; but I shall never see you or speak to you again; when you leave me here for that purpose our good-bye will last beyond death. Still you understand I do not seek to win you from your purpose, you are free to do as you will." The misery on his handsome young face touched her a little, and she had to remind herself that she was doing all she did for his own good. "We will not talk any more about it, Lance," she said, kindly; "words will not alter facts. Did your father tell you what we proposed about the boat to-night?" His lips trembled as he tried to answer her. "I cannot throw off sorrow as you can, mother; I am talking to you about that which will make the misery or the happiness of my life, and you think of nothing but a boat." "Words are so useless, Lance," repeated my lady; "they are but empty sounds. I am going out to look for some cameos; I think I should like a set, they are very elegant and _recherche_."