“But how came we here?” interrupted Madame Alroyd, with a sharp glance at her, as she noted her evident confusion.
“You were brought here by the baron’s own orders, madam.”
“And what authority has he to order us here, I should like to know?” said the old lady, indignantly. “And another thing I want to have you explain to me; and that is, how were we brought here during the night without our knowledge?”
“His lordship arranged all that,” said Nina.
“Well, then, I must say that his lordship is no gentleman, to allow people to enter a room and remove its sleeping occupants,” returned madam, with a good deal of asperity.
“No one entered your room to remove you, madam——”
“No one entered our room!” repeated the now angry woman, with hands upraised in absolute astonishment. “Do you suppose you can make me believe such an unlikely story as that?”
“No, madam, unless you choose,” was the humble reply.
“I am all out of patience with you. Do, Dora, try and make her explain this mystery,” urged Madame Alroyd, with a look of perplexity upon her face.
And Dora, with a charming expression of good nature, which won the servant’s heart at once, went up to her and said, sweetly: