"Oh, why? If I promised him to keep the matter secret, surely you
would not ask me to break my faith?"

"Once engaged to me, I object to your keeping faith with any
other man."

"Well, it is all past and gone now," I murmur, sadly. "Why rake
up the old ashes? Let us forget it."

"Forget it!" cries Marmaduke, savagely. "How easy you find it to
forget! And you, whom I thought so innocent a child--you, who
told me you never had a lover until I came to Strangemore! I
cannot so readily forget what you have now told me. It maddens me
to think another man has been making love to you, has held your
hands, has looked into your eyes, has--has--Phyllis"--- almost
fiercely--"tell me the truth; did he ever kiss you?"

My back is turned to him, but I am visibly shaking. I wonder
exceedingly why he does not notice it; but perhaps he does, and
puts it down to deep emotion.

"No," I say, in a smothered tone, "it never went so far as that."

"Then why not tell me his name?"

"Because--I--cannot."

"Will not, you mean. Very good: I will not ask you again. I think
we had better return to the grounds."

He moves a step or two away in the direction of the door.
Turning, I burst into a perfect peal of laughter, and laugh until
the old room echoes again.

"Oh, Marmaduke," I cry, holding out to him my hands, "come back
to me, and I will tell you all. It was old Tanner, your head
gardener, I meant the entire time. He used to give me all your
fruit and flowers before he went to America; and I bought him an
ear-trumpet with my ten shillings, and--oh! oh! oh!"

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