"Has she jilted you? Are you sore on that? Well, you must not blame me. I know nothing of it, whatever they say in the Gazette," he sneered.
"So you have answered my first question," said Sir Francis, keeping himself well in hand. "This"—he struck the paper lying before him—"is a malicious falsehood?"
"It is a paragraph in the Gazette," answered Rose Lyndwood, raising his eyebrows.
"I will have the name of the man who coined it and horsewhip him into an open confession!" exclaimed Sir Francis.
"Is it worth while?" smiled the Earl. "There are always the pamphlets and lampoons, and if you offend a penman they will kill you in a paper warfare."
"I have no care for that. I shall know how to act."
"Why did you come to me?" the Earl interrupted suddenly.
"To ask you if there were any truth in this libel."
"Which seems as if you suggest there might be, Sir Francis." His tone changed. "And had there been, do you think that you would have got it from me?" he laughed. "I suppose that you came here to force a meeting on me?"
"No," exclaimed Sir Francis, "no!"