. . . Well, later on, remember that I warned you."
Diana stared into the fire for a moment in silence. Then she asked
with apparent irrelevance:--
"Is Mr. Errington married?"
"He is not." Diana's heart suddenly sang within her.
"Nor," continued Miss Lermontof keenly, "is there any likelihood of his
ever marrying."
The song broke off abruptly.
"I should have thought," said Diana slowly, "that he was just the kind
of man who _would_ marry. He is"--with a little effort--"very
delightful."
Miss Lermontof got up to go.
"You have a saying in England: _All is not gold that glitters_. It is
very good sense," she observed.
"Do you mean"--Diana's eyes were suddenly apprehensive--"do you mean
that he has done anything wrong--dishonourable?"
"I think," replied Olga Lermontof incisively, "that it would be very
dishonourable of him if he tried to--to make you care for him."
She moved towards the door as she spoke, and Diana followed her.
"But why--why do you tell me this?" she faltered.
The Russian's queer green eyes held an odd expression as she answered:--
"Perhaps it's because I like you very much better than you do me.
You're one of the few genuine warm-hearted people I've met--and I don't
want you to be unhappy. Good-bye," she added carelessly, "thank you
for my tea."
The door closed behind her, and Diana, returning to her seat by the
fire, sat staring into the flames, puzzling over what she had heard.
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