cts
and information for his speech. He had joined his wife for dinner, but
she saw him so completely engrossed that she did not talk to him, and it
had not occurred to her to tell him that Madame Vanira was coming, so
that he was quite ignorant of that fact.

The two ladies enjoyed themselves very much--they had a cup of orange
Pekoe from cups of priceless china, they talked of music, art, and
books.

The pretty little clock chimed ten. Lady Chandos looked at her
companion.

"You have not tried my piano yet," she said. "It was a wedding present
from Lord Chandos to me; the tone of it is very sweet and clear."

"I will try it," said Madame Vanira. "May I look through the pile of
music that lies behind it?"

Lady Chandos laughed at the eagerness with which Leone went on her knees
and examined the music.

Just at that moment, when she was completely hidden from view, the door
suddenly opened, and Lord Chandos hastily entered. Seeing his wife near,
without looking around the room, in his usual caressing manner, he threw
one arm round her, drew her to him, and kissed her.

It was that kiss which woke all the love, and passion, and jealousy in
Leone's heart; it came home to her in that minute, and for the first
time, that the husband she had lost belonged to another--that his kisses
and caresses were never more to be hers, but would be given always to
this other.

There was one moment--only one moment of silence; but while it lasted a
sharp sword pierced her heart; the next, Lady Chandos, with a laughing,
blushing face, had turned to her husband, holding up one white hand in
warning.

"Lance," she cried, "do you not see Madame Vanira?"

She wondered why the words seemed to transfix him--why his face paled
and his eyes flashed fire.

"Madame Vanira!" he cried, "I did not see that she was here."

Then Leone rose slowly from the pile of music.

"I should ask pardon," she said; "I did not know that I had hidden
myself so completely."

It was like a scene from a play; a fair wife, with her sweet face, its
expression of quiet happiness in her husband's love; the husband, with
the startled look of passion repressed; Leone, with her grand Spanish
beauty all aglow with emotion. She could not recover her presence of
mind so as to laugh away the awkward situation. Lady Chandos was the
first to do that.

"How melodramatic we all look!" she said. "What is the matter?"

Then Lord Chandos recovered himself. He knew tha