“That is good,” rejoined the young lady. “Now move the portfolio, so that your back will be towards those people. That will do. Hold down your head as if you were examining the prints, and then answer my questions truly and concisely. First, you are an English gentleman?” “Yes, I hope so.” “Who is the prince?” “My friend, Richard Frere.” “And why have you both come here dressed like Persians?” “To mystify our foolish hostess.” “For shame, sir! I’m very fond of Lady Lombard.” “But you know she is a silly woman.” “Well, never mind. Who planned this hoax?” “Bracy, the so-called interpreter.” “Does Prince Frere talk real Persian?” “Yes.” “And does the other man understand him?” “Not a bit.” “Then he invents all the answers? That’s rather clever of him. I shall go and listen presently. And you can’t talk either Persian or gibberish, so you held your tongue and looked sulky. Well, I think it’s all very wrong; but it’s rather droll. Poor, dear Lady Lombard! she’d never survive it if she did but know! And now, tell me, lastly, what put you in a rage just this minute and enabled me to find you out?” “You would not care to know.” “But I do care to know, sir, and you have promised to answer all my questions.” “You heard the speech that woman made about a Mrs. Arundel?” “Yes, surely.” “Learn, then, that my name is Lewis Arundel, and the lady referred to was my mother. Now do you understand?” As Lewis uttered these words, in atone of suppressed bitterness, his companion hastily turned her head and said, in a low, hurried voice--“I beg your pardon! I fear I have pained you; but I did not know--I could not guess----” “Pray do not distress yourself,” returned Lewis kindly, Rose’s smile for a moment smoothing his haughty brow and playing round his proud mouth. “I am sure you would not hurt any one’s feelings knowingly; and since you observed my annoyance, I am glad to have been able to explain its cause.” So engrossed had they been by this conversation that they had not observed Miss Sparkless enter the boudoir by another door; and they were first made aware of her presence by seeing her standing, breathless with astonishment, at discovering Miss Peyton in familiar colloquy with a Persian nobleman utterly ignorant of the English language. “Do you speak German?” asked Lewis quickly. “Yes, a little,” returned Miss Peyton. “She has not caught a word yet,” continued Lewis. “Tell her you found out by accident that I had picked up a few German sentences when the Prince was at the court of Prussia. White lies, unhappily, are inevitable on these occasions,” he continued, seeing his companion hesitate. “It’s the only way to prevent an _éclaircissementt_; and then, think of poor Lady Lombard’s feelings!”