Catherine still knelt there, trembling. Then Lord
Maltenby was pushed unceremoniously to one side. It was the
Princess who entered.
"Catherine!" she screamed. "Catherine!"
The girl rose slowly to her feet. The Princess was leaning on the
back of a chair, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief and sobbing
hysterically. Lord Shervinton's voice was heard outside.
"What the devil is all this commotion?" he demanded.
He, too, crossed the threshold and remained transfixed. The Earl
closed the door firmly and stood with his back against it.
"Come," he said, "we will have no more spectators to this
disgraceful scene. Julian, kindly remember you are not in your
bachelor apartments. You are in the house over which your mother
presides. Have you any reason to offer, or excuse to urge, why I
should not ask this young woman to leave at daybreak?"
"I have no excuse, sir," Julian answered, "I certainly have a
reason."
"Name it?"
"Because you would be putting an affront upon the lady who has
promised to become my wife. I am quite aware that her presence in
my sitting room is unusual, but under the circumstances I do not
feel called upon to offer a general explanation. I shall say
nothing beyond the fact that a single censorious remark will be
considered by me as an insult to my affianced wife."
The Princess abandoned her chorus of mournful sounds and dried her
eyes. Lord Waltenby was speechless.
"But why all this mystery?" the Princess asked pitifully.
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