The look, the tone, the words, fill him with blind, overmastering rage.
"By Heaven, I will make you repent those words!" he exclaims, springing toward her and clasping his arm around her slender waist.
But with one piercing cry of terror Countess Vera puts her hand into her breast and withdraws a tiny, jewel-hilted dagger.
Maddened with fear, she thrusts the keen blade into the arm that holds her so tightly, and with a scream of pain the villain releases her and retreats to the door.
"Oh, Mr. Noble, your arm is all bleeding!" exclaims the woman, entering at that moment with the tea-tray.
"Yes, my wife is in one of her occasional violent fits, and has tried to murder me," he answers, shortly.
"She has a dagger which you must try to get away from her or she may hurt you too. Lock her into the room now and come down and dress my wound for me," he adds, stalking out of the room.
[CHAPTER XL.]
The woman advanced into the room and deposited her tea-tray on the table. A tempting little lunch was arranged upon it in a pretty china service.