“What is the matter, dear Caroline?  You look ill, wearied, and even melancholy.  Did you dance more than usual last night?”

“No,” replied Caroline; “I believe not.  I do not think I am more tired than usual.  But what do you come for, Emmeline?  Some reason must bring you here, for you are generally hard at work at this time of the day.”

“My wits have been so disturbed by Mary’s letter, that I have been unable to settle to anything,” replied her sister, laughing; “and to add to their disturbance, I have just heard something so strange, that I could not resist coming to tell you.”

“Of what nature?”

“St. Eval leaves London to-day for Castle Malvern, and next week quits England.  Now is not that extraordinary?”

Caroline became suddenly flushed with crimson, which quickly receding, left her even paler than before.

“She is innocent,” thought Emmeline.  “She loves him.  St. Eval must have behaved ill to her; and yet he certainly looked more sinned against than sinning.”

“To-day:  does he leave to-day?” Caroline said, at length, speaking, it appeared, with effort, and turning to avoid her sister’s glance.

“In little more than an hour’s time; but I am sorry I told you, dear Caroline, if the news has pained you.”

“Pained me,” repeated her sister, with returning haughtiness; “what can you mean, Emmeline?  Lord St. Eval is nothing to me.”

“Nothing!” repeated the astonished girl.  “Caroline, you are incomprehensible.  Why did you treat him with such marked attention if you cared nothing for him?”

“For a very simple reason; because it gave me pleasure to prove that it was in my power to do that for which other girls have tried in vain—­compel the proud lordly St. Eval to bow to a woman’s will.”  Pride had returned again.  She felt the pleasure of triumphant power, and her eyes sparkled and her cheek again flushed, but with a different emotion to that she had felt before.

“Do you mean, then, that you have never loved him, and merely sported with his feelings, for your own amusement?  Caroline, I will not believe it.  You could not have acted with such cruelty; you do love him, but you reject my confidence.  I do not ask you to confide in me, though I did hope I should have been your chosen friend; but I beseech, I implore you, Caroline, only to say that you are jesting.  You do love him.”

“You are mistaken, Emmeline, never more so in your life.  I have refused his offered hand; if you wish my confidence on this subject, I give it you.  As he is a favourite of yours, I do not doubt your preserving his secret inviolate.  I might have been Countess of St. Eval, but my end was accomplished, and I dismissed my devoted cavalier.”

“And can you, dare you jest on such a subject?” exclaimed Emmeline, indignantly.  “Is it possible you can have wilfully acted thus? sported with the feelings of such a man as St. Eval, laughed at his pain, called forth his love to gratify your desire of power?  Caroline, shame on you!”