Part 44 (1/2)
”Remember, Lord Chandos,” she said, ”that I am my own mistress. I can choose my friends and a.s.sociates. I refuse to admit you among the number.”
”You cannot prevent me from coming to see you, Leone.”
”No; but I can, and shall, refuse to see you when you come,” she replied; ”and I shall do so.”
”Oh, my love, my cruel, beautiful love,” he cried.
The girl's face flushed with hot anger and indignation.
”Will you be silent?” she cried. ”Shame on you, Lord Chandos, to use such words. You have a beautiful and beloved wife at home to whom all your love and fidelity belong. If you say one more such word to me I will never see you again.”
”But, Leone, it seems so very hard; you might let me call at times and see you.”
”No, I cannot, I cannot trust myself, even if I could trust you. I have had no other husband, no other love; you have married. I would not trust myself; my love is as great now as ever it was, but it shall not run away with me; it shall not be my master. I will master it. You must not come near me.”
”But, surely, if I meet you in the street, you will not ask me to pa.s.s you by?” he said.
”No; if we meet quite by chance, quite by accident, I will always speak to you. Ah, Lance,” she added, with a smile, ”I know you so well, I know every look in your eyes; you are thinking to yourself you will often see me by accident. You must not; such honor as you have left me let me keep.”
”If this is to be our last interview, for some time, at least,” he continued, ”tell me, Leone, how is it that you have become so famous?”
”Yes, I will tell you all about that; I am rather proud of my power. It is not a long story, and it dates from the day on which your mother sent me that letter.”
She told him all her studies, her struggles, her perseverance, her success, finally her crowning by fame.
”It is like a romance,” he said.
”Yes, only it is true,” she replied.
He tried to prolong the interview, but she would close it; and he was compelled to leave her, when he would have given years of his life to have remained one hour longer.
CHAPTER XLI.
”LET US BE FRIENDS.”
”Lance,” said the sweet voice of Lady Marion, plaintively, ”I am beginning to have a faint suspicion about you.”
”Indeed. Your suspicions are not faint as a rule. What is this?”
”I am afraid that you are growing just a little tired of me,” said the beautiful queen of blondes.
”What makes you think so?” he asked, trying to laugh, as he would have done a few weeks since at such an accusation.
”Several reasons. You are not so attentive to me as you used to be; you do not seem to listen when I speak; you have grown so absent-minded; and then you say such strange things in your sleep.”
He looked grave for half a minute, then laughed carelessly.
”Do I? Then I ought to be ashamed of myself. Men talk enough in their waking hours without talking in their sleep. What do I say, Marion?”