e any good if Colonel Tom Carden went and spoke to him?" I
asked, presently. "He was best man at papa's wedding, and knows all there
is to be known of poor mamma; and do you think that as mamma's father was
Lord de Brandreth--a very old barony I believe it is--oh, can it make any
difference to the children's actual breeding, their parents not having
been through the marriage ceremony? I--I--don't know much of that sort of
things."

"My sweet," said Robert, and through all our sorrow he smiled and kissed
me--"my sweet, sweet Evangeline."

"But does the duke know all the details of the history?" I asked, when I
could speak; one can't when one is being kissed.

"Every little bit, it seems. He says he will not discuss the matter of
that--I must know it is quite enough, as I have always known his views;
but if it was not sufficient, your wild, wicked beauty is. You would not
be faithful to me for a year, he said. I could hardly keep from killing
him when he hurled that at my head."

I felt my temper rising. How frightfully unjust--how cruel! I went over
and looked in the glass--a big mirror between the windows--drawing Robert
with me.

"Oh, tell me, tell me, what is it? Am I so very bad looking? It is a
curse, surely, that is upon me."

"Of course you are not bad looking, my darling!" exclaimed Robert.
"You are perfectly beautiful--a slender, stately, exquisite
tiger-lily--only--only--you don't look cold--and it is just your red hair,
and those fascinating green eyes, and your white, lovely skin and black
eyelashes that, that--Oh, you know, you sweetheart! You don't look like
bread-and-butter, you are utterly desirable, and you would make any one's
heart beat."

I thought of the night at "Carmen."

"Yes, I am wicked," I said; "but I never will be again--only just enough
to make you always love me, because Lady Ver says security makes yawns.
But even wicked people can love with a great, great love, and that can
keep them good. Oh, if he only knew how utterly I love you, Robert, I am
sure, sure, he would be kind to us!"

"Well, how shall we tell him?"

Then a thought came to me, and I felt all over a desperate thrill of
excitement.

"Will you do nothing until to-morrow?" I said. "I have an idea which I
will tell to no one. Let us go back to Claridge's now, and do not come and
see me again until to-morrow at twelve. Then, if this has failed we will
say good-bye. It is a desperate chance."

"And you won't tell me