"Ah! what do you mean?" There was breathless eagerness and ruthless cruelty in the tone and manner in which the woman put this question. The viscount did not immediately reply. And Claudia, her blood curdling with horror at what seemed plainly a design against her life, left her position near the door of the boudoir and concealed herself behind the crimson satin hangings; feeling fully justified in becoming an eavesdropper upon conversation that concerned her safety. "What do you mean?" again whispered the woman, with restrained vehemence. "'Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, 'till you approve the deed,'" quoted Lord Vincent. "But trust me; I am ready to aid you in the deed, and to share with you the danger it must bring, for I love you, Malcolm, I love you! Confide in me! Tell me what you mean," she whispered in low, deep, vehement tones. "I mean--not what you imagine, Faustina. Turn your face away. Those eyes of yours make my blood run cold. No! We English are not quite so ready with bowl and dagger as you Italians seem to be. We like to keep within bounds." "I do not understand you, then." "No, you do not. And you will not understand me any better when I say to you, that I shall get rid of my Indian Princess, not by breaking the law, but by appealing to the law." "No; it is true; I do not understand you. You seem to be playing with me." "Listen, then, you bewitching sprite. You reproached me just now with bringing her here, here under your very eyes, you said. Faustina, I brought her here, to this remote hold, that she might be the more completely in my power. That I might, at leisure and in safety, mature my plans for getting entirely rid of her." "But, Malcolm, why did you marry her at all? Ah, I fear, I fear, it was after all a real passion, though a transient one, that moved you!" "No; I swear to you it was not! I have never loved woman but you!" "But why then did you marry her at all?" "My angel, I told you why. You should have believed me! My marriage was a financial necessity. The earl, my father, chose to take umbrage at what he called my disreputable--" "Bah!" exclaimed the woman, in contempt. "Well, let the phrase pass. The Earl of Hurstmonceux chose to take offense at my friendship with your lovely self. And he--did not threaten to stop my allowance unless I would break with you; but he actually and promptly did stop it until I should do so." "Beast!" "Certainly; but then what was to be done? I had no income; nothing to support myself; much less you, with your elegant tastes." "I could have gone on the boards again! I did not love you for your money; you know it, Malcolm." "I do know it, my angel; and in that respect, as in all others, you were immeasurably above your fancied rival, who certainly loved me only for my rank." "But why then did you not rather let me return to the boards?" "Where your beauty brought you so many admirers and me so many rivals?" "But I preferred you to them all."