Rona, all unintentionally, came to his rescue, by going to a table and taking up a photograph of Nadia that stood upon it. "Is this Miss--is it the Governor's daughter?" she asked. "It is. She is attractive, you think--eh? What you call very pretty?" His quaint accent made the girl smile. "She is beautiful," she replied, as if grudgingly. "Her attraction is of the kind that some men find too much--not to be resisted," he said, hurriedly. "I know but one who gave not a thought to her. That was my poor, good Felix. His heart was filled with another--with the image of you, mademoiselle. But his brother----" he came and stood before Veronica, almost menacingly, "His brother--yes, it is right that you should know it. His brother has fallen--in--love with Nadia Stepanovna. You say that, hein? _Fall-in-love?_" Veronica smiled a little sadly. "No such luck," was the thought in her heart. "Yes, that is what we say; but it cannot be what Mr. Vanston has done," she said, gently. "He is engaged to me, and he has loved me for two years and more. Besides, we English are not--not like that. We have our feelings under control. Particularly English gentlemen, such as Mr. Vanston." She was really amused. The girl whose picture she held, beautiful as she undoubtedly was, was hardly Denzil's style. She gazed upon the sumptuous face, the pouting, childish mouth, the foreign suggestion given by the drop earrings, the somewhat extravagant arrangement of the hair. It was, however, quite likely that, Nadia being the only girl of her class within a thousand miles, she should seem to Vronsky to be quite irresistible. "I think you are mistaken, Mr. Vronsky," she said, very gently. The absolute incredulity expressed by her face and her voice staggered him. "Mademoiselle," he urged, appealingly, "I entreat you to believe what I say. I wish you well. I bear you no grudge, though you have ruined my boy's life. Young girls have not always the control of their hearts. But I tell you that those two--Nadia and the Englishman--are in love--deep in love, the one with the other. Do I not know? Have I not sat here night after night and watched them? Do you think a passion like that can be hid?" There was in his manner an intensity, an urgency, which carried weight. "If I did not know that it was true, do you think I would stand here to stab you with such cruel words?" he vehemently asked her. "It is that I wish to prepare you--that you obtain a moment's warning--that when they come in from the garden you have the key of the situation in your hands."