The Salt Of The Earth by Fred M. White

Samuel Burton had dropped his easy debonair manner, and was speaking with unusual earnestness. He sat with his hands folded between his knees, and his looks declared his anxiety. For once the Duchess was utterly astonished, though she had frequently plumed herself as being proof against any sensation whatever.

She knew Burton's character, and that, as a rule, his word was not to be trusted. But it never occurred to her to disbelieve him in this instance. There was no reason why he should fabricate such a story, and so far as her grace could see, Burton would not benefit by the fraud.