Mayenne started forward with half an oath, changing to a laugh.
"So it is not enough for you to possess the fair body of Lorance; you must also have her love?"
"She will love me," Lucas answered uneasily. "She must."
"It is not worth your fret," Mayenne declared. "If she did, how long would it last? Souvent femme varie—that is the only fixed fact about her. If Lorance loves Mar to-day, she will love some one else to-morrow, and some one else still the day after to-morrow. It is not worth while disturbing yourself about it."
"She will not love any one else," Lucas said hoarsely.
Mayenne laughed.
"You are very young, Paul."
"She shall not love any one else! By the throne of heaven, she shall not!"
Mayenne went on laughing. If Lucas had for the moment teased him out of his equanimity, the duke had paid back the score a hundredfold. Lucas's face was seared with his passions as with the torture-iron; he clinched his hands together, breathing hard. On my side of the door I heard a sharp little sound in the darkness; mademoiselle had gritted her teeth.
"It is a little early to sweat over the matter," Mayenne said, "since mademoiselle is not your wife nor ever likely to become so."