"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.
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