Blair started and turned to him.
"I—I beg your pardon. Yes, it is a marvelous picture. But there is something connected with it; I——" he sank into the chair and covered his face with his hands.
The prince stood regarding him in silence for a moment; then he drew the curtain over the picture and turned to Blair.
"My lord, you will understand why I showed you that picture. There need be not one word spoken between us in reference to it. Your face has told me all I want to know; my actions will explain my motives. Lord Ferrers will understand that if I treat him with discourtesy when we return to the company, that I do it to provide an excuse for our meeting to-morrow morning."
"Our meeting?" said Blair, who had scarcely listened to, and certainly had not understood, the prince's words.
Prince Rivani's face grew black.
"Lord Ferrers prefers to ruin women rather than fight with men! Ah, yes!"
Blair rose at once.
"I don't understand you," he said, quietly; "but if you wish to challenge me you need not be afraid that I shall decline. Why you should want to shoot me I scarcely know——"
"It is a lie!" hissed the prince, driven almost mad by what he considered Blair's prevarication.