"You have no right to interfere, sir," he rapped back.
"My interference has consisted in telling her the plain truth."
"To attempt to come between us in this way is unjustifiable, monstrous. I will not allow it either. You shall answer to me, sir."
"I don't care a snap of my finger for your anger, Prince von Graven; and I certainly do not intend to have a personal quarrel over the thing. Can you deny that I have put the matter in its true light?"
"That is not the point. The point is your conduct."
I shrugged my shoulders and turned to Chalice. "It is for you to decide. I shall of course take your answer as final."
"But how can I decide? Is there no way out?"
"There is only one of the two ways. You can't have both. I will come for your decision in an hour," I replied and rose. I thought that it would be best for me to leave them together to discuss it alone.
But Chalice stopped me. "Don't go, Herr Bastable; but excuse us a moment"; and she took him into another room.
She was soon back again, smiling and carolling an air from one of her songs. "The Prince has gone," she announced. "He is in a tearing rage and vows he will never see me again if I do what you ask. But I shall do it. I wrote the letter yesterday, and it took me such a time. Here it is"; and she handed it to me.