Really it doesn't matter so much after all, this story of Lady
Rylton's. Maurice can go his way and she hers—that was arranged!
But, for all that, it does seem rather mean that he should have
married her, telling her nothing of this.
"Care! why should I care?" says she suddenly, Lady Rylton's last words clinging to her brain, in spite of all its swift wanderings during the last sixty seconds.
"Such an admirable indifference would almost lead me to believe that you had been born of good parentage," says Lady Rylton, cold with disappointed revenge.
"I was born of excellent parentage——" Tita is beginning, when the sound of footsteps slowly mounting the stairs of the veranda outside comes to them.
A second later Mrs. Gower shows himself.
CHAPTER XIII.
HOW A YOUNG AND LOVELY NATURE TAKES A SHOCK MOST CRUELLY ADMINISTERED. AND HOW A DOWAGER TAKES A NEW NAME AS A DIRECT INSULT. AND HOW TITA DECLINES TO PROMISE ANYTHING.
He stands at the open window looking in. All at once Tita knows and feels that Margaret sent him to rescue her from captivity.
"Lady Rylton," calls he, "won't you come out? The evening is a perfect dream—a boon and a blessing to men, like those pens, you know."
The elder Lady Rylton answers him. She leans forward, a charming smile on her wonderfully youthful features.