Rosamund did not defend herself.

‘I am very glad you have come, Nevil,’ she said; ’your uncle holds to the ceremony.  I may be of real use to you now; I wish to be.’

‘You have only to prove it,’ said he.  ’If you can turn his mind to marriage, you can send him to Bevisham.’

‘My chief thought is to serve you.’

‘I know it is, I know it is,’ he rejoined with some fervour.  ’You have served me, and made me miserable for life, and rightly.  Never mind, all’s well while the hand’s to the axe.’  Beauchamp smoothed his forehead roughly, trying hard to inspire himself with the tonic draughts of sentiments cast in the form of proverbs.  ’Lord Romfrey saw her, you say?’

‘He did, Nevil, and admired her.’

’Well, if I suffer, let me think of her!  For courage and nobleness I shall never find her equal.  Have you changed your ideas of Frenchwomen now?  Not a word, you say, not a look, to show her disdain of me whenever my name was mentioned!’

‘She could scarcely feel disdain.  She was guilty of a sad error.’

’Through trusting in me.  Will nothing teach you where the fault lies?  You women have no mercy for women.  She went through the parade to Romfrey Castle and back, and she must have been perishing at heart.  That, you English call acting.  In history you have a respect for such acting up to the scaffold.  Good-bye to her!  There’s a story ended.  One thing you must promise:  you’re a peeress, ma’am:  the story’s out, everybody has heard of it; that babbler has done his worst:  if you have a becoming appreciation of your title, you will promise me honestly—­no, give me your word as a woman I can esteem—­that you will not run about excusing me.  Whatever you hear said or suggested, say nothing yourself.  I insist on your keeping silence.  Press my hand.’

‘Nevil, how foolish!’

‘It’s my will.’

‘It is unreasonable.  You give your enemies licence.’

’I know what’s in your head.  Take my hand, and let me have your word for it.’

‘But if persons you like very much, Nevil, should hear?’

‘Promise.  You are a woman not to break your word.’

‘If I decline?’

‘Your hand!  I’ll kiss it.’

‘Oh! my darling.’  Rosamund flung her arms round him and strained him an instant to her bosom.  ’What have I but you in the world?  My comfort was the hope that I might serve you.’

’Yes! by slaying one woman as an offering to another.  It would be impossible for you to speak the truth.  Don’t you see, it would be a lie against her, and making a figure of me that a man would rather drop to the ground than have shown of him?  I was to blame, and only I. Madame de Rouaillout was as utterly deceived by me as ever a trusting woman by a brute.  I look at myself and hardly believe it ’s the same man.  I wrote to her that I was unchanged—­and I was entirely changed, another creature, anything Lord Romfrey may please to call me.’