the tones are deep. One cannot say
what quality there is in some voices and pronunciation that makes them
so attractive. If Antony were an ugly man he still would be alluring
with such a voice as his. I listened intently until the last word.

"It is, indeed, a beautiful description," I said.

"You probably are all those things, Comtesse, except, perhaps, the
'chattering of the monkeys.' You don't speak much."

"And do you feel like 'man'?"

"That I cannot do with you, or without you? Yes, especially the latter
part of the sentence."

I got up from the sofa and looked about the room. It seemed as if we
were getting on dangerous ground.

"How comfortable men make their habitations! And I like the smell," I
said, sniffing. "The pine-logs, I suppose."

"And the cedar panelling, perhaps, scents the place a little when it
gets hot."

"You have thousands of books here." And I looked round at the high
shelves between the long windows. "And what a nice piano! How happy
you must be!"

"I should have been--and am sometimes, still," he said. "The Duke had
a good room, too, at Myrlton."

I sat down on the sofa again. Antony had risen and leaned against the
mantel-piece. He was idly pulling the ears of Bedevere, who, sitting
there, reached up into his hand. I never could have imagined dogs so
big as are these three.

"Of course you went to Myrlton. I had forgotten. The Duke made love
to you, I suppose?"

"Why should you suppose?"

"Because I saw signs of it at Harley. Don't you remember how I carried
you off to the woods while he fetched your umbrella?"

I laughed.

"Well, did he make love to you?"

"Why should you think any man would make love to me? It is ridiculous.
You seem to forget I have only been married five months. Even in a
well-bred world, where they have gone back to nature, they don't begin
as soon as that, do they?"

"You are prevaricating. He did make love to you, then?"

"Lady Grenellen had brought an heiress there for him, and he was busy
with her."

"And you made it as difficult for him as possible to do his duty. How
heartless of you, Comtesse! I would not have believed it of you."

His voice was more mocking than I had ever heard it.

"I did nothing of the kind."

"He is an agreeable fellow, Berty."

"Full of information."

"Superficial."

"Possibly."

Then our eyes met.

"Comtesse, we are not here to talk about the Duke of Myrlshire in
these our few minutes of grace. The 6