"Then why do you say that he is not in London?"
He looked at her with the triumphant eyes of a man who puts a master card upon the table.
"I say that he is not in England because you are alone, Miss Romney."
Etta bit her lips, but gave no other expression to her emotion.
"A compliment to my discretion," she exclaimed with a little laugh; and then, as though serious, she said, "You will make me late for the theatre after all. Do please talk of all this to-morrow."
He drew aside instantly.
"Izard would never forgive me," he said; "let it be to-morrow as you wish—shall we say at twelve o'clock?"
"Oh, by all means, at twelve o'clock to-morrow," she rejoined and upon that she ran up the stairs, and, entering her own room, locked the door behind her.
Who was the man? How had he come thus into her life? She was utterly unnerved, amazed, and without idea. But she knew that she would go to the theatre no more.
"And what will Mr. Izard say?" she asked herself blankly; "what will they all say?"