During the brief silence that ensued, he still held his hand firmly on hers, and when he spoke his tone was cold and stern.
"My opinion of your probable course in this matter was founded entirely upon belief in the truthfulness of your statement that Mr. Lindsay had no claim on your heart. Only a short time since you assured me of this fact, and my faith in your candour must plead pardon for my present profound surprise. Certainly I was credulous enough to consider you incapable of deceit."
The scorn in his eyes stung her like a lash, and clasping her fingers spasmodically around his hand, she exclaimed:
"I never intended to deceive you. Oh, do not despise me!"
"I presume you understand the meaning of the words you employ; and when I asked you if I would be justified in softening your rejection of my cousin by assuring him that your affections were already engaged you emphatically negatived that statement, saying it would be untrue."
"Yes, and I thought so then; but did not know my own heart."
Her shadowy eyes looked appealingly into his, but he smiled contemptuously.
"You did not know your affections had travelled to India, until the gentleman formally asked for them? Do you expect me to believe that?"
"Believe anything except that I wilfully deceived you."
The anguish, the hopelessness written in her blanched face, and the trembling of the childishly small hands that had unconsciously tightened around his touched him.