"From the girl from whom your base scheming separated me," he said, sternly.
"Ah," she breathed, but her eyes opened with a wild stare. "You—you have gone back to her?"
He waved his hand.
"Let there be no word of her between us," he said; "your lips shall not profane her name."
She turned white and her hand went to her heart.
"Forgive me," he said, hoarsely. Had he not promised to deal gently with her? "I have not come to utter reproaches—I came to shield you, if that were possible."
"To shield!—from what?" she demanded, in a low murmur.
"From the consequences of your crime," he said. "What that is, I have only learnt to-night; but for a chance accident the world would know to-morrow that Lady Lenore Beauchamp had stooped so low as to become the accomplice of Jasper Adelstone in a vile conspiracy."
She waved her hand.
"He dare not speak. I defy him!"