Princess Mary gazed intently into his eyes with her own luminous ones as he said this. She seemed to be trying to fathom the hidden meaning of his words which would explain his feeling for her.

“Why should these things happen? Why should people suffer? I honestly believe,” she went on, lowering her voice slightly, “that Rachel’s in Heaven, but Terence. . . .”

The whole purport of his remarks now was evidently to exalt himself and insult Alexanderjust what he had least desired at the commencement of the interview.