ised her face to his, longing to see if
he were angry, yet half afraid.

"You went to Cawdor to see my mother," he repeated. "My darling, it was
a strong measure. What did she say or do?"

"You are not angry with me for it, Lance?" she asked, gently.

"I angry, my darling? No, a thousand times no. I could not be angry with
you. Why did you go--for what purpose?"

"I went to ask her to have pity on us; not to enforce this cruel
sentence; to be pitiful to me, because I love you so dearly."

"And her answer?" asked Lord Chandos, eagerly.

"Her answer was everything that was cruel and wicked. Ah, forgive me,
Lance, she is your mother, I know, but she has taken in her cruel hands
a divine power. She has parted us and I prayed her to be merciful. I
told her how dearly we loved each other, but she had no pity--no
mercy--no woman's kindness, no sympathy. She was cold, cruel, proud,
haughty. She insulted, humiliated and outraged me. She refused to hear
one word, and when I left her, I swore to be revenged on her."

The slender form trembled with passion. He drew her even more closely to
his breast.

"My darling, you need not think of vengeance," he said. "I am grieved
that my mother was unkind to you. Had you consulted me, I should most
certainly have said do not go. Mind, I am not angry or annoyed, only so
far as this, that I would not have you irritated for the world. I must
say that I had always felt that if my mother could see you our cause was
won. I did not believe that any creature living could resist that face."

She looked up at him with unutterable love.

"Do you really care so much for it, Lance? Have you never seen a face
you like as well?"

"No, and never shall see one, my darling; when we are parted it will
live in my heart bright and fair until we meet again."

Then the tender arms clung more tightly to him.

"Must we be parted, Lance?" she whispered. "We were married in the sight
of Heaven--must we leave each other? Oh, Lance, it cannot be true; no
one can say that I am not your wife."

Quietly and calmly trying to command himself, he told her then how
inevitable it was that they must submit to the voice of the law during
the next few months, so as to insure their future happiness and fair
name. And then he told her of the favor conferred upon him, and how he
was compelled to accept it or never to hope for court favor again.

She listened with a face that seemed turned to stone. Slowly the tender