“And marry her?” shouted the senator, shaking his fist at him.
“Oh say—this is hardly fair—three against one—really—I'm awfully sorry, eh, what?”
The door opened and Kate Roberts bounced in. She was smiling and full of animal spirits, but on seeing the stern face of her father and the pitiable picture presented by her faithful Fitz she was intelligent enough to immediately scent danger.
“Did you want to see me, father?” she inquired boldly.
“Yes, Kate,” answered the senator gravely, “we have just been having a talk with Mr. Bagley, in which you were one of the subjects of conversation. Can you guess what it was?”
The girl looked from her father to Bagley and from him to the Ryders. Her aristocratic lover made a movement forward as if to exculpate himself, but he caught Ryder's eye and remained where he was.
“Well?” she said, with a nervous laugh.
“Is it true” asked the senator, “that you were about to marry this man secretly?”
She cast down her eyes and answered:
“I suppose you know everything.”