“I am content with that,” he said. “And—and if you should hear that which might shake your faith in me——” he asked, his face pale and his lips quivering.
“Nothing can do that,” she responded.
“We shall see,” he said, almost inaudibly, and left them, closing the door behind him.
Lady Despard took Doris’ hand and caressed it.
“For all my bravado, I feel rather nervous, dear,” she said, with a forced laugh. “His manner has been so strange of late, and you—you have had something on your mind, Doris. Oh, of course I have seen that, though I would rather have died than asked you to tell me!”
“And I think I would rather have died than tell you!” said Doris, with something like a sob.
“Has there been a quarrel between you? Do you want the match broken off? For heaven’s sake, speak while there’s time if you want it broken off!”
Doris shook her head sadly.
“No; I shall marry him this evening, if he wishes it!” she murmured.
“If he wishes it! Why, of course—ah!” she broke off, her hand closing nervously upon Doris’ burning fingers; “that is Spenser Churchill’s voice!”