And now--what shall I say ?" He hesitated, his eyes meeting Miss Holland's.

And in that moment Mrs.Hastings found her voice.

She curved the chain of her eye-glasses over her ear, threw back her head until the tortoise-rims included her host, and spoke her mind.
"Well, Prince Tabnit," she said sharply--quite as if, St.George thought, she had been nursery governess to princes all her life--"I must say that I think your regret comes somewhat late in the day.
It's all very well to suffer as you say over what your servant has tried to do.

But what kind of man must you be to have such a servant, in the first place?
Didn't you know that she was dangerous and blood-thirsty, and very likely a maniac-born ?" Her voice, never modulated in her excitements, was so full that no one heard at that instant a quick, indrawn breath from St.George, having something of triumph and something of terror.

Even as he listened he had been running swiftly over the objects in the room to fasten every one in his memory, and his eyes had rested upon the table at his side.