"Prudence—" began Carolyn, as she had once before begun.
This time Prudence did not say, "Ma'am." She responded, "Yes," in a half whisper.
Carolyn stood up a little more erectly; she felt her hands growing cold. She went on:
"I've often wondered how you happened to engage yourself to Rodney Lawrence."
"I shouldn't think you'd wonder about that, when you've just been and done the same thing yourself," was the response.
"Now don't be flippant."
"No, I won't be. Go on."
"Well," Carolyn began again, "perhaps I ought to say that I wonder how, having engaged yourself to Rodney, you could jilt him for anybody else in the world."
"Not for Lord Maxwell?"
"Not for a thousand Lord Maxwells."