The blue eyes turned eagerly to his face, and he could see that she was trembling very much. "Poor child!" he said, compassionately, attempting to press her hand; but she drew it quickly away, and exclaimed: "You were right, Lord Clive. It was not that I was sick, only dismal and wretched. Yes, I will tell you the truth now. I was not ill, only frightened--of _you_!" The low voice faltered, and she stole a pleading glance at him that mystified him even more than her words. "Frightened of me! I do not understand you, Azalia," he said, inquiringly. "I had--something--to tell you," faltered the frightened voice. "Oh, Lord Clive, do not look at me so kindly for presently you will hate me! I--I--want to take back my promise! I can not learn to love you, so I can never marry you!" When he recovered from the severe shock she had given him he attempted to expostulate with her, to reason with her, but all to no purpose, for she would only reiterate her declaration that she could never marry him, and beg him to forgive her for what she had done. His handsome blonde face grew pale with emotion. "Your reasons for this strange step, Azalia?" he said at last, haughtily, indignation beginning to work in his breast. "I do not love you," she faltered, faintly. "You told me that before, yet you did me the honor to accept my offer; so there must be some newer reason," said Lord Clive. She began to sob bitterly, and he said, impatiently: "I am waiting for your answer, Miss Brooke." Driven to bay, she answered, sobbingly: "I can give you no reason; for, although one exists, I am too great a coward to confess it. I can only throw myself on your pity and your mercy, Lord Clive." "But you are not showing me any mercy or pity," he replied, in a deeply offended tone. "Am I not, Lord Clive? Then I will show no mercy to myself. Listen, then: I am an arrant coquette. When I accepted your offer I knew quite well that I could never marry you. But it was to pique another, whom I cared for, into a confession of his love that I played with your heart. There; have I lowered myself sufficiently in your eyes?" The handsome nobleman arose, pale with passion. "You have made me quite willing to relinquish all claims upon you, Miss Brooke," he said, with haughty sarcasm, adding, still more bitterly: "I trust your clever ruse brought him to your feet." "Ah, no, no!" she cried, in a broken voice; but at that moment the door opened, admitting Lord and Lady Ivon and some visitors--Mrs. Meredith, her two daughters, and Jewel Fielding. Azalia rose quietly and greeted the visitors, trembling when the hateful glance of Jewel met her own. "She is regretting that I was not killed by the dynamite bomb she left in my room," she thought, nervously. "Ah, with what a deadly hatred she regards me! She will never relax in her deadly purpose until I am dead and out of her way." Mrs. Meredith came and sat down by her side, almost furtively, in her fear of offending jealous Jewel.