"There is the greatest of all!" cried the girl, with violent gesture. "He has told you all about me, but has he told you all about himself?"
"Lady Ogram," said Dyce, in a tone of offended dignity, "you should remember by what means you obtained my confidence. You told me that Miss Tomalin had already confessed everything to you. I naturally believed you incapable of falsehood—"
"Being yourself such a man of honour!" Lady Ogram interrupted, with savage scorn. "Constance, you are the only one who has not told me lies, and you have been shamefully treated—"
"You think she has told you no lies?" interrupted May, her voice at the high pitch of exasperation. "Wait a moment. This man has told you that he came down from London in the train with me; but did he tell you what he talked about? The first thing he disclosed to me was that the engagement between him and Miss Bride was a mere pretence. Finding you wished them to marry, they took counsel together, and plotted to keep you in good humour by pretending to be engaged. This he told me himself."
Lady Ogram turned upon Lashmar, who met her eyes with defiance.
"You believe that?" he asked, in a quietly contemptuous tone.
She turned to Constance, whose face showed much the same expression.
"Is that true?"
"I shall answer no charge brought by Miss Tomalin," was the cold reply.
"And you are right." Lady Ogram faced to May. "I give you half an hour to pack your luggage and leave the house! Be off!"