"This is a beautiful room, is it not? This house cost my lord a vast sum—you Lyndwoods are very extravagant," she drew her gauntlets on slowly. "I doubt if even a wealthy match can save you—the fortune of a merchant's daughter has its limits—if the marriage were to last only as long as the money I were soon free."
Marius turned to gaze at her.
"Do you mean to insult us?" he said in a goaded way.
She shrugged her shoulders.
"What do you think I mean?" her dark eyes held an unfathomable expression, one that could not fail to stir his blood with excitement, with wonder and confusion; she held her head very high and her complexion flushed beneath the rouge; "when we are all damned together each shall know perhaps what the other meant, not before."
With an air of bright and deep passion she moved towards the door; it seemed that she would leave without another word, nor did he offer to detain her, though his curious gaze was eagerly on her; but abruptly she stopped and looked back.
"Are you not grown up yet, Marius?" she said wildly and softly.
He stood perfectly still and she held out her hand.
"Good-bye, Captain Lyndwood," she said quietly. "I will not ask you to see me to my carriage."
He began some hot reply, but was interrupted; Susannah Chressham entered.