"Not yet," said Charles, dryly. "As a comparative stranger, I want to know,"—stopping and facing her—"exactly what you mean by saying that she, Lady Grace, did not understand the rules of the game."
"I cannot put it in other words," said Ruth, her courage rising as she felt that a battle was imminent.
"Perhaps I can for you. Perhaps you meant to say that you believed I was in the habit of amusing myself at other people's expense; that—I see your difficulty in finding the right words—that it was my evil sport and pastime to—shall we say—raise expectations which it was not my intention to fulfil?"
"It is disagreeably put," said Ruth, reddening a little; "but possibly I did mean something of that kind."
"And how have you arrived at such an uncharitable opinion of a comparative stranger?" asked Charles, quietly enough, but his light eyes flashing.
She did not answer.
"You are not a child, to echo the opinion of others," he went on. "You look as if you judged for yourself. What have I done since I met you first, three months ago, to justify you in holding me in contempt?"
"I did not say I held you in contempt."
"You must, though, if you think me capable of such meanness."
Silence again.