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Rh love for her. That seemed to me bad; I suffered for you—you whose delicate and generous feelings I had guessed.... Yes, that distressed me and my idea was, by stealing this proof of a wrong action, to let you know of it, if circumstances allowed me."

"Then you dropped your pocket-book on purpose?"

"I confess. I did. And if that method had failed, I should have tried to ﬁnd another."

"You hurt me great deal. All the same, I am grateful to you."

She held out her hand; Leonor pressed it respectfully.

"I have given you less pain now than you would have felt later on. It would have been irremediable then."

"Who knows? I might perhaps have forgiven him afterwards. I shall not forgive before."

"I know M. Hervart fairly well," said Leonor, in a slightly hypocritical voice, "but I know that, despite his age, he is capricious. M. Lanfranc is a spiteful gossip and I won't repeat all he told me. I know enough, and from certain sources, to make me congratulate my-