“Yes, my Lord. The haughty Russian exults in the insult that this offers to the proudest aristocracy of Europe. This is the vengeance he exacts for the cold disdain he experienced in London, and all that reserve that met his attempts in English society.”
“How came she here?—who sent for her?—who devised this scheme? Tell me the whole truth, for, by Heaven, if I see you equivocate, you'll never quit this chamber living!”
“I' ll tell you everything, truthfully and fairly,” said the Abbé, with calm dignity; and now in a few words he traced Nina's life, from the time of her residence under Lady Hester's roof, to the moment of her return to Florence. He omitted nothing; neither her intimacy with Jekyl nor her passion for George Onslow. Even to the incident of the torn dress on the night of the flight, he told all.
Norwood listened with the stern collectedness of one who had nerved himself for a great effort. Although the blood spurted from his compressed lips, and the nails of his fingers were buried in his hands, he uttered never a word. At last, when D'Esmonde paused, he said,——
“And you knew all this?”
“Nothing whatever of it I never chanced to see her at Florence, nor had I the slightest suspicion of her presence there.”
“Lady Hester knew it? Miss Dalton knew it?”
“I suspect not at that time.”
“They know it now, then?”
“Who does not? Is not Florence ringing with the story? When has scandal fallen upon such material for its malevolence? Such dramatis personæ as a prince, an English peer, and his peeress, are not of every day's good fortune!”