His face flushed.
He felt that his rudeness on that occasion may have merited censure, but that it had not justified the humiliation she had put upon him.
These two persons, so strangely brought together, and on whom Fate had made her inscrutable designs, looked steadily into each other's eyes.

What mysterious force thrilled through Alfred Clarke and made Betty Zane tremble?
"Miss Boggs, I am twice unfortunate," said Alfred, tuning to Lydia, and there was an earnest ring in his deep voice "This time I am indeed blameless.

I have just left Colonel Zane's house, where there has been an accident, and I was dispatched to find 'Betty,' being entirely ignorant as to who she might be.

Colonel Zane did not stop to explain.

Miss Zane is needed at the house, that is all." And without so much as a glance at Betty he bowed low to Lydia and then strode out of the open door.
"What did he say ?" asked Betty, in a small trembling voice, all her anger and resentment vanished.
"There has been an accident.