"I perhaps frightened her horse, unintentionally. Where is she?"
"Why, she was afraid and took to flight. Did you not hear her riding off toward the house?"
"And why should she have been afraid of me?" rejoined the Marquis, with singular bitterness. "I did not wish to offend her." And then, weary of deception, he added, "I merely wanted to speak to her!"
"About whom? About me?"
"Yes, perhaps. I wanted to know whether she loved you."
"And why did n't you speak to her?"
"I do not know. I could not say a word to her."
"Are you in pain?"
"Yes. I am ill, very ill, to-day."
"Let us go in, brother," said the Duke. "I see that you are in a fever, and the dew is falling."