love and friendship.

Wearily enough she repeated the words to herself:

"Let us be friends. As he says, 'life is short.' The comfort will be
small enough, Heaven knows, but it will be better than nothing. Yes, we
will be friends."

So she answered the letter in a few words, telling him if he really
wished what he said, she would discuss the prudence of such a friendship
with him.

This letter of hers fell into the hands of Lady Marion. She looked at
the fine, beautiful, clear handwriting.

"Lance, this is from a lady," she said.

When he took it from her his face flushed, for he knew the hand.

"It is from a lady," she repeated.

"It is on business," he replied, coldly, putting the envelope aside;
and, to his intense delight, Lady Marion forgot it.

He was to go and see her. It was wrong to be so pleased, he knew, but he
did not even try to hide his delight over it.

When should he go? He should count the hours--he could not wait longer
than to-morrow. Would she be willing; or would she not? How long the
hours seemed, yet they passed, and once more he was at the Cedars.

CHAPTER XLII.

BECOMING SUSPICIOUS.

So they made the second great mistake of their lives. These two, who had
been married lovers, fancied they could be friends. If it had not been
so sad and so pitiful, it would have been amusing to have heard the
conditions of that friendship--they were as numerous as the
preliminaries of an article of peace. They made all arrangements; their
friendship was to be of the purest and most platonic nature; there was
to be nothing said which would remind them of the past; he was to shake
hands with her when he came and when he went; he might pay her a visit
twice or three times a week; if they met, they were to be on friendly
terms; they would discuss art, literature, and music--anything and
everything except their own story; they were to take an interest in each
other's lives and fortunes.

"I shall take such a pride in your career, Leone," said Lord Chandos, in
all good faith; "it will be the dearest part of my life."

She held up one white finger with a smile; that was trespassing on
forbidden ground. He must not break the new code of friendship by saying
such things.

"We are friends, not lovers, Lord Chandos," she said, gently; "you will
annoy me if you forget that. The dearer part of your life is at home."

He apologized for the words.

"I mean," he said, "that I shall take the keenes