"You do indeed hate me, Dora," he said, sadly.
"I do, indeed," was the reply.
And then they saw Lady Linleigh walking across the lawn to them.
"My dear Doris," her ladyship cried, "what is the matter, darling? See! you have a great stain of blood on your dress—and your hand! What has happened?"
She took the white hand, with its purple, bleeding bruise, into her own.
"What is the matter, Doris? Lord Vivianne, what is the matter?"
She saw that he looked dreadfully distressed.
"Dear Lady Linleigh, it is nothing," said Lady Doris, quickly, fearing that he would speak. "I was resting against the gate there, and I thought something was on my hand, a snake crawled over it—a horrible, slimy snake—and in my hurry, I bruised it against the gate—that is all."
"But," said the countess, perplexedly, "Lord Vivianne was with you."
"Oh, yes, he was there!"