"
"I will make it quite clear then," Mr. Sabin answered. "Lucille,
will you favour me by ringing for your maid. The carriage is at
the door."
The Prince held out his hand.
"My dear Souspennier," he said, "you must not think of taking
Lucille away from us."
"Indeed," Mr. Sabin answered coolly. "Why not?"
"It must be obvious to you," the Prince answered, "that we did not
send to America for Lucille without an object. She is now engaged
in an important work upon our behalf. It is necessary that she
should remain under this roof."
"I demand," Mr. Sabin said, "that the nature of that necessity
should be made clear to me."
The Prince smiled with the air of one disposed to humour a wilful
child.
"Come!" he said. "You must know very well that I cannot stand here
and tell you the bare outline, much less the details of an important
movement. To-morrow, at any hour you choose, one from amongst us
shall explain the whole matter--and the part to be borne in it by
the Countess!"
"And to-night?" Mr. Sabin asked.
The Prince shrugged his shoulders and glanced at the clock.
"To-night, my dear friend," he said, "all of us, I believe, go on
to a ball at Carmarthen House. It would grieve me also, I am sure,
Duke, to seem inhospitable, but I am compelled to mention the fact
that the hour for which the carriages have been ordered is already
at hand.
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