"Do you indeed?" carelessly. "Milk and sugar?"
"Both," he answered, annoyed at the flippancy of her tone; "this business is very serious."
"It must be, judging from your tone," she replied, giving him his tea, and returning to her own seat. "By the way, what did you think of the Italian Exhibition?"
"What!" he said, with a sudden start. "Oh, yes, of course--I met you there when I was with Mrs. Taunton."
Carmela winced; so her rival was a married woman!
"I do not know her," she said, idly balancing her spoon on the edge of her cup.
"No," he said, bending forward; "but you know a relative of hers."
"Indeed!" carelessly; "and his name?"
"Leopold Verschoyle."
Carmela let her spoon fall with a crash, and turned her pale, scared face to Ronald quickly.