“His Excellency, the Chancellor, desires to see Miss Brandon upon official business and alone,” said the messenger.
“You will wait for me, Trixy?” asked Dorothy of her companion.
“I have a letter to send off, dear,” answered Beatrice, “and I will go to your desk and write it. I suppose you will be back to me before I have finished.”
“Yes, yes,” assented Dorothy, with preoccupied air, as she turned to the messenger and indicated her readiness to follow him.
Lord Ashley received her in the main room of the Chancellerie. The messenger who ushered her in withdrew, and they were alone.
Lord Ashley advanced with deferential courtesy to receive her and led her to a seat at the head of a long, highly-polished table in the centre of the room. He drew up a chair and seated himself at the side of the table, in order to bring himself almost face to face with her.
“I must beg your forgiveness, Miss Brandon,” he began, “for having thus hastily asked your attendance. I trust you will not regret too much having missed the pleasures of the garden-party.”
“I confess,” answered Dorothy, “I was astonished upon learning the urgency of your summons and quite unable to guess its cause. Even now I—”
“You are still at a loss,” rejoined Lord Ashley promptly, as she hesitated. “It may be summed up in two words—official business.”
“Official business!” repeated Dorothy. “So the message said. But what possible connection can there be between me and the official business of the Chancellerie?”