"Ah, dear Madame Chansette, I come with grave news;" I got thus far when Sarita jumped to her feet and faced me with eyes flashing and cheeks a-flush.
"How dare you come here?" she cried; speaking in English to emphasise more distinctly the gulf between us.
"Sarita!" I exclaimed, as though in deep surprise; but I kept by the door intending to prevent her escape; and I feasted my hungry eyes upon her glowing beauty.
"My aunt is not here, sir. You must have seen that for yourself the instant you entered. Why then this absurd pretence?"
"Because I would ten thousand times rather see you than Madame Chansette; because I must see you; because—any reason you like. I am too delighted at having at last caught you to care for reasons. You have been avoiding me for many days. Why?" I replied in Spanish, but she kept to English, which she spoke with great fluency.
"Because I do not wish to see you, Mr. Carbonnell. You will please be good enough now to go away." She spoke in her coldest and loftiest tone. "I desire to be alone."
"No, I shall not go away without an explanation. Why have you avoided me purposely for all this time?"
"I have given you the reason. I have had no wish to see you."
"Thank you for your bluntness; but you must carry it a stage further and tell me why."
"Certainly. Because on a former occasion you rendered your presence objectionable to me," she returned in the same cold, level tone.