heard all this; but commanded herself. Her face was pale as
marble; her lips were bloodless; but her dark eyes had the terrible
gleam of suppressed but determined hatred! In such moods as hers, people
have sometimes planned murder.

However, she went through all the four dances very composedly. And when
they were over and Lord Vincent had led her to a seat, she sent him to
fetch her a glass of water, while she kept her eye on the movements of
Captain Burghe, until she saw him deposit his partner on a sofa and
leave her to fetch a cream, or some such refreshment.

And then Claudia arose, drank the ice-water brought her by the viscount,
set the empty glass on a stand and requested Lord Vincent to give her
his arm down the room, as she wished to speak to Captain Burghe.

The viscount glanced at her in surprise, saw that her face was
bloodless; but ascribed her pallor to fatigue.

Leaning on Lord Vincent's arm, she went down the whole length of the
room until she paused before the sofa on which sat Miss Tourneysee and
several other ladies, attended by General Tourneysee, Captain Burghe and
other gentlemen.

Burghe stood in front of the sofa, facing the ladies and with his back
towards Claudia, of whose approach he was entirely ignorant, as he
discoursed as follows:

"Quite unfit to be received in respectable society, I assure you,
General! Came of a wretchedly degraded set, the lowest of the low, upon
my honor. This fellow--"

Claudia touched his shoulder with the end of her fan.

Alfred Burghe turned sharply around and confronted Miss Merlin, and on
meeting her eyes grew as pale as she was herself.

"Captain Burghe," she said, modulating her voice to low and courteous
tones, "you have had the misfortune to malign one of our most esteemed
friends, at present a member of our household. I regret this accident
exceedingly, as it puts me under the painful necessity of requesting you
to leave the house with as little delay as possible!"

"Miss Merlin--ma'am!" began the captain, crimsoning with shame and rage.

"You have heard my request, sir! I have no more to say but to wish you a
very good evening," said Claudia, as with a low and sweeping courtesy
she turned away.

Passing near the hall where the footmen waited, she spoke to one of
them, saying:

"Powers, attend that gentleman to the front door."

All this was done so quietly that Alfred Burghe was able to slink from
the room, unobserved by anyone except the