, Heaven!--than ever fell
to the lot of woman. And one day, when I saw your husband, the
bitterness of it was lying heavily on me. I said something to him that
led him to understand how dull and unhappy I felt. Lady Chandos, he took
me on the river that he might give me one happy day, nothing more. Do
you grudge it to me, dear? Ah, if I could give you the happiness of
those few fleeting hours I would."

And again her warm, loving lips touched the white brow.

"I understand," said Lady Marion. "Why did my husband not speak as you
have done? Does he care for you, madame? You will tell me the truth, I
know."

And the fair face looked wistfully in her own.

Leone was silent for a few minutes; she could not look in those clear
eyes and speak falsely.

"Yes," she answered, slowly; "I think Lord Chandos cares very much for
me; I know that he admires and likes me."

Lady Marion looked very much relieved. There could surely be no harm in
their friendship if she could speak of it so openly.

"And you, madame--oh, tell me truly--do you love him? Tell me truly; it
seems that all my life hangs on your word."

Again the beautiful face drooped silently before the fair one.

"It would be so easy for me to tell you a falsehood," said Leone, while
a great crimson flush burned her face, "but I will not. Yes, I--I love
him. Pity me, you who love him so well yourself; he belongs to you,
while I--ah, pity me because I love him."

And Lady Marion, whose heart was touched by the pitiful words, looked up
and kissed her.

"I cannot hate you, since you love him," she said. "He is mine, but my
heart aches for you. Now let me tell you what I have come to say. You
are good and noble as I felt you were. I have come to ask a grace from
you, and it is easier now that I know you love him. How strange it
seems. I should have thought that hearing you say that you loved my
husband would have filled my heart with hot anger, but it does not; in
some strange way I love you for it."

"If you love him, madame, his interests must be dear to you."

"They are dear to me," she whispered. "How strange," repeated Lady
Marion, "that while the world is full of men you and I should love the
same man."

"Ah, life is strange," said Leone; "peace only comes with death."

CHAPTER LXI.

A SACRIFICE.

Lady Marion raised herself so that she could look into the face of her
beautiful rival.

"Now I will tell you," she said; "you are going to Berli