ould leave
her to-morrow! Have you done so well, Lady Lanswell for your son?"

"No, indeed I have not!" came with a great sigh from Lady Lanswell's
lips. "Perhaps, if it were to be--but no, I will not say that. You have
noble thoughts and noble ideas--tell me, Leone, will you help me?"

"Help you in what?" she asked, proudly.

The countess flung aside the laces and ribbons that seemed to stifle
her.

"Help me over my son!" she cried; "be generous to me. Many people in my
place would look on you as an enemy--I do not. If you have ever really
loved my son you cannot be an enemy of mine. I appeal to the higher and
nobler part of you. Some people would be afraid that you should triumph
over them--I am not. I hold you for a generous foe."

"What appeal do you wish to make to me?" asked Leone, quite ignoring all
the compliments which the countess paid her.

Lady Lanswell looked as she felt--embarrassed; it was one thing to carry
this interview through in fancy, but still another when face to face
with the foe, and that foe a beautiful, haughty woman, with right on her
side. My lady was less at ease than she had ever been in her life
before, her eyes fell, her lips trembled, her gemmed fingers played
nervously with her laces and ribbons.

"That I should come to you at all, Leone, proves that I think you a
noble woman," she said; "my trouble is great--the happiness of many
lives lies in your hands."

"I do not understand how," said Leone.

"I will tell you," continued the countess. "You are going to Berlin, are
you not?"

She saw a quiver of pain pass over the beautiful face as she asked the
question.

"Yes," replied Leone; "I have an engagement there."

"And Lord Chandos, my son, has said something about going there, too?"

"Yes," replied Leone; "and I hope he will; he knows the city well, and I
shall be glad to see a familiar face."

There was a minute's silence, during which Lady Lanswell brought all her
wit and courage to bear on the situation. She continued:

"Lady Chandos does not wish my son to go to Berlin. I suppose it is no
secret from you that she entirely disapproves of her husband's
friendship with you?"

Leone bowed her proud, beautiful head.

"That is a matter of little moment to me," she said.

My lady's face flushed at the words.

"I may tell you," she went on, "that since Lady Chandos heard of this
friendship, she has been very unhappy."

"No one cared when I was unhappy," said Leone;