140 THE SILVER FOX 



She looked at him with the courage of an 

 honourable nature owning to what it would 

 self-righteously have despised in another, and 

 he saw the moistness in her eyes. 



" Oh yes, I understand that quite well," 

 he replied, with a quickness that did honour 

 both to him and to her. 



There was a pause. 



" I burned it at once," she added. 



" Oh !" There was no shade of feeling in 

 the monosyllable. " I remember the letter 

 you speak of," he went on very quietly ; 

 "what I cannot understand is why you have 

 told me of it ? I can hardly think it was for 

 the sake of saying something unpleasant." 



"It was because I am fond of Lady 

 Susan," she said desperately. 



In the silence that followed it seemed to 

 her as though she had thrown a heavy stone 

 into deep water, without hope of result 

 beyond the broken mirror and the flagging 

 ripple. 



