"Verona, won't you introduce me to your friend?"
Although Verona had known that this terrible moment must surely arise, she grew white to the very lips as she caught the glimmer of horrified amazement dawning in Captain Haig's blue eyes. Well, she was about to test his friendship! Would it stand the strain?
"Captain Haig," she said, and her manner was outwardly composed, "this is my mother, Mrs. Chandos."
"O-ah, how do you do?" she said, effusively. "A friend of Verona's, I see. Oh, we are always awfully pleased to know her friends. Let me present you to——" here she waved a soiled white-gloved hand:
"My dater Dominga." Dominga accorded him a smile—and one of her looks!
"And my dater Bellamina." Bellamina merely giggled hysterically.
"My married dater Mrs. Montagu Jones, and Mr. Montagu Jones—my son Nicholas."
One after the other the family bowed themselves, and shook hands with him with every evidence of the most cordial satisfaction.
At first his stupefaction was so complete, that Captain Haig was unable to utter one single word.
The beautiful Miss Chandos! the fairy Princess! Oh, she must be under some spell of enchantment! This wizened little black monkey-faced woman her mother! These awful half-castes, her sisters! Was he awake or asleep?