"You will pardon my requesting you to keep your room; but your presence is not as yet known to my guests, and your appearance among them immediately after your marriage, without your husband, might cause unpleasant speculation and comment. Do you agree with me?"
"Quite," replied Mrs. Scarsdale. She had misjudged Lady Melton, she thought; but she disliked her nevertheless, and wished to be very guarded.
"Now," said that personage, "I want to hear the whole affair. No, I do not want you to tell it," as her guest opened her mouth to speak; "not in your own way, I mean. You would probably wander from the point, and my time is of importance. I will ask you questions, and you will be kind enough to answer them, as plainly and shortly as possible."
Mrs. Scarsdale bowed; she was so angry at the cool insolence that this statement implied that she did not feel she could trust herself to speak.
"Now we will begin," said her ladyship, as she proceeded to demolish a boiled egg. "What is your Christian name?"
"Mabel."
"Very well. Then I shall call you Mabel in future; it is ridiculous to address you as Mrs. Scarsdale."
"I really don't see——" began that lady.
"Excuse me," interrupted her questioner, "I will make the comments when necessary. When were you married?"
"Yesterday afternoon at two-thirty o'clock."