"What are you doing here?" she asked. "By what right do you come to the house at this time? Will you please be so good as to go at once?"
He stared at her, and, as she advanced, he moved mechanically on one side and let her pass, but he followed her into the drawing-room.
"I am here by appointment," he said; his tone was sullen, his manner rude. "Mrs. Lancing desires to see me."
"No person would give you an appointment for six o'clock in the morning," said Caroline.
"Ordinary people might not," he answered with a smile that was a sneer, "but this is not an ordinary house."
Caroline walked into the dismantled drawing-room.
"As Mrs. Lancing is not here," she said, "it is undesirable that you should remain."
"I shall go when I choose," was Broxbourne's answer.
Caroline shrugged her shoulders, and turned at once to leave the room, but he stood in the way.
"No," he said, "since you give orders you must know what is going on here. If Mrs. Lancing is not here, why are you here?"