"May I ask whether you have been informed of the cause to which the attack is attributable ?" "There!" exclaimed Lady Lundie with a sudden bound in her chair, and a sudden development of vocal power to correspond.

"The one thing I shrank from speaking of! the cruel, cruel, cruel behavior I was prepared to pass over! And Sir Patrick hints on it! Innocently--don't let me do an injustice--innocently hints on it!" "Hints on what, my dear Madam ?" "Blanche's conduct to me this morning.

Blanche's heartless secrecy.
Blanche's undutiful silence.

I repeat the words: Heartless secrecy.
Undutiful silence." "Allow me for one moment, Lady Lundie--" "Allow _me,_ Sir Patrick! Heaven knows how unwilling I am to speak of it.

Heaven knows that not a word of reference to it escaped _my_ lips.
But you leave me no choice now.