She pointed to the armchair which he took, and she reseated herself at the table, folding her hands. There was a moment's silence. The Duke was feeling uncomfortably disturbed. There had been a subtle rebuke conveyed in her late speech, which he knew he merited. He had no right to have come there. "Are you not going to talk to me at all, then?" he almost blurted out. "I will answer, of course, when Your Grace speaks; it is not for me to begin." "Very well, I not only speak--I implore--I even order you to discontinue this ridiculous humility, this ridiculous continuance of 'Your Grace,' resume the character of guest, and let us enjoy these miserable fifteen minutes--but first, I want to know what is the necessity for your total change of manner here? Gerard and Gwendoline knew that you were Lady Garribardine's secretary that night, but they did not consider it imperative to make a startling difference in their relations towards you because of that, as it seems that you would wish me to make now." Katherine looked down and then up again straight into his eyes, a slight smile quivered round her mouth. "That is quite different--they know me very well--and dear Miss Gwendoline is not very intelligent. I have been there before to help to entertain bores for Mr. Strobridge and Lady Beatrice, but that night I was there--because I wanted to see--Your Grace." Here she looked down again suddenly. The Duke leaned forward eagerly; this was a strange confession! "I wanted once to talk to a man as an equal, to feel what it was like to be a lady and not to have to remember to be respectful. So I deliberately asked Mr. Strobridge to arrange it--after I had heard you speak." The Duke was much astonished--and gratified. "How frank and delicious of you to tell me this! I thought the evening was enchanting--but why do you say such a silly thing as that you wanted to feel what it was like to be a lady? You could never have felt anything else." "Indeed, I could; I am not a lady by birth, anything but! only I have tried to educate myself into being one, and it was so nice to have a chance of deciding if I had succeeded or no." "And your verdict was?" he raised amused eyebrows. She looked demure. "By Your Grace's words just now, I conclude that I have succeeded." "Only by my words just now? I thought we had had a rather pleasant and interesting hour of conversation as fellow-guests." "Yes--You are not shocked, then, when I tell you that I am not really a lady?" "No. The counterfeit presentment is so very perfect, one would like to hear the details of the passage to its achievement." Then she told him in as few and as simple words as she could--just the truth. Of her parentage, of her home at Bindon's Green--of Liv and Dev's, of her ideals, and her self-education, and of her coming to Lady Garribardine's. Mordryn listened with rapt attention, his gaze fixed upon her face--he made brief ejaculations at times, but did not otherwise interrupt her.