He paused. His glistening eyes scanned her face eagerly. He would have
given worlds to know what was in her mind and heart. But she gave him no
chance. She remained impassive.

"You've been very unfortunate, Mr. Vane. I'm truly sorry for you."

"That's something," said he gratefully. "It consoles me for what I've
gone through. The lies told by Rofflash and Jarvis, who I thought was my
friend, nearly sent me to Tyburn."

"And Mistress Salisbury?"

Lavinia's manner was as cold as ice. It was only by a great effort that
she forced her lips to utter Sally's name. She knew it meant a deadly
thrust for Vane, but a woman has no mercy where another woman is
concerned.

Vane hung his head.

"I don't know what to think about her," said he huskily. "I can hardly
believe she was in the conspiracy to consign me to the gallows."

"Why not? Is she in love with you?"

"How can I tell? I--I--well, I suppose I may say in justice to her that
she did her best to nurse me through the fever that followed my wound."

"Then she does love you," cried Lavinia roused out of her coldness. "I
can't imagine the creature doing a good action without a strong motive."

"I've heard say she's generous and is always ready to put her hand in
her pocket to help anybody in distress."

"Very likely. It's easy to be generous with money that comes so lightly.
Every guinea she spends is tainted," exclaimed Lavinia passionately.
"And so you accepted her help?"

"Not in money. She found me grievously ill at Dr. Mountchance's on
London Bridge. Mountchance is a quack and a charlatan, and she had me
carried to her own lodgings else I must have died. I'd scarce recovered
from my wound when I was arrested at Rofflash's instigation and thrown
into Newgate."

"I suppose she did right and you, too, Mr. Vane," rejoined Lavinia with
a toss of her head. "It is naught to do with me. Let us talk of other
matters. Mr. Gay tells me your father's a clergyman."

"Yes. He would have had me be one too, but I hated everything to do with
the Church. We parted in anger, and I went my own way. Ill luck followed
me. I've made a mess of my life. Everything went wrong. I thought
Fortune was coming my way when I met you, but she turned her back."

"That wasn't my fault, Mr. Vane."

"Great heaven, no! 'Twas entirely my own folly and accursed fate. I've
no one to blame but myself. Wine was an easy way of drowning my
troubles."

"You've no need to remind me of that, Mr.