does not mean to give her pain; for he is very proud of her, and madly
extravagant wherever she is concerned; and sometimes he takes sudden
fits of trying to please her and be kind to her that are quite odd in
their way. Can you tell me what we should do?"

Ingram looked at her for a moment, and said gravely and slowly,
"Before we talk any more about that I must clear my conscience. I
perceive that I have done you a wrong. I came here prepared to accuse
you of drawing away Mr. Lavender from his wife, of seeking amusement,
and perhaps some social distinction, by keeping him continually
dangling after you; and I meant to reproach you, or even threaten you,
until you promised never to see him again."

A quick flush, partly of shame and partly of annoyance, sprang to Mrs.
Lorraine's fair and pale face; but she answered calmly, "It is perhaps
as well that you did not tell me this a few minutes ago. May I ask
what has led you to change your opinion of me, if it has changed?"

"Of course it has changed," he said, promptly and emphatically. "I
can see that I did you a great injury, and I apologize for it, and
beg your forgiveness. But when you ask me what has led me to change
my opinion, what am I to say? Your manner, perhaps, more than what you
have said has convinced me that I was wrong."

"Perhaps you are again mistaken," she said coldly: "you get rapidly to
conclusions."

"The reproof is just," he said. "You are quite right. I have made a
blunder: there is no mistake about it."