"You do not," I return, mildly; and, but that when a man is jealous he loses all reasoning and perceptive faculties, he might see that I am crimson with suppressed laughter. "Had you never appeared on the scene, still a marriage between us would have been impossible." "What is his name?" asks 'Duke, abruptly. "I would rather not tell you." "I insist upon knowing. I think I have every right to ask." "Oh, why? If I promised him to keep the matter secret, surely you would not ask me to break my faith?" "Once engaged to me, I object to your keeping faith with any other man." "Well, it is all past and gone now," I murmur, sadly. "Why rake up the old ashes? Let us forget it." "Forget it!" cries Marmaduke, savagely. "How easy you find it to forget! And you, whom I thought so innocent a child--you, who told me you never had a lover until I came to Strangemore! I cannot so readily forget what you have now told me. It maddens me to think another man has been making love to you, has held your hands, has looked into your eyes, has--has--Phyllis"--- almost fiercely--"tell me the truth; did he ever kiss you?" My back is turned to him, but I am visibly shaking. I wonder exceedingly why he does not notice it; but perhaps he does, and puts it down to deep emotion. "No," I say, in a smothered tone, "it never went so far as that." "Then why not tell me his name?" "Because--I--cannot." "Will not, you mean. Very good: I will not ask you again. I think we had better return to the grounds." He moves a step or two away in the direction of the door. Turning, I burst into a perfect peal of laughter, and laugh until the old room echoes again. "Oh, Marmaduke," I cry, holding out to him my hands, "come back to me, and I will tell you all. It was old Tanner, your head gardener, I meant the entire time. He used to give me all your fruit and flowers before he went to America; and I bought him an ear-trumpet with my ten shillings, and--oh! oh! oh!" "Phyllis, Phyllis!" cries my lover, with reproachful tenderness, and, catching me in his arms, presses upon my lips kisses many and passionate, as punishment for my wrongdoing. "How could you do it, darling? How could you make me so miserable for even a few minutes?" "I could not help it. You looked so angry and the idea came into my head. And all about old Tanner! Oh! There--there, please don't make me laugh again." Friendly intercourse being thus once more restored, and it being necessary we should now return to the guests, I make a bet with him, in which a dozen pair of gloves count as high as three kisses, and race him down all the stairs, through landings and rooms and corridors, until I arrive breathless but triumphant at the hall-door. Here we pause, flushed and panting, to recover our equanimity, before marching out together calm and decorous to mingle again among our friends.