"
"What says the damsel herself," observed Sir Thomas Lake. "Does she
admit the charge?"
"You cannot expect her to do that, Sir Thomas," interposed Lord Roos.
"I expect her to answer my question," rejoined the Secretary of State,
sharply. "Were you in Lord Roos's room last night?" he added, to
Gillian.
"Oh, dear! I am ready to faint," she exclaimed. "Catch me, Dick--catch
me!"
"Answer 'yes' or 'no,' or I won't," he rejoined.
"Well, then, 'yes!' if I must say something," she replied.
Poor Dick fell back, as if struck by a shot.
"I don't believe it," cried Sir Thomas.
"Nor I either," said Dick, recovering himself. "I don't believe she
could do such a wicked thing. Besides, it was the foreign ambassador,
there," he added, pointing to De Gondomar, "who seemed most enamoured
of her yesterday; and I shouldn't have been so much surprised if she had
gone to see him. Perhaps she did," he continued, addressing the poor
damsel, who again hung her head.
"I can take upon me to affirm that such was not the case," observed De
Gondomar.
"Have you the lock of hair with you?" whispered Sir Thomas to his lady.
"I have," she replied, taking a small packet from her bosom.
The movement did not pass unnoticed by Lord Roos and the Spanish
Ambassador, between whom an almost imperceptible smile passed.
"If you have put all the interrogations you desire to make to Gillian,
Madam," said Lord Roos to his mother-in-law, "perhaps she may be
permitted to depart? The situation cannot be agreeable to her.
Pages:
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250