"—who despises eavesdroppers, and will not be spied upon, or frowned at!"
"I did not spy upon you," cried Barnabas, stung at last, "or if I did,
God knows it was well intended."
"How, sir?"
"I remembered the last time we three were together,—in Annersley Wood." Here my lady shivered and hid her face. "And now, you gave him the rose! Do you want the love of this man, Cleone?"
"There is only one man in all the world I despise more, and his name is—Barnabas," said she, without looking up.
"So you—despise me, Cleone?"
"Yes—Barnabas."
"And I came here to tell you that I—loved you—to ask you to be my wife—"
"And looked at me with Devil's eyes—"
"Because you were mine, and because he—"