“I will see,” answered Mme. Estelle.

“Are you acquainted with the fact,” he asked suddenly, “that in a week's time Melun will have arranged to marry the Lady Kathleen?”

Madame went pale to the lips.

“It's a lie!” she almost screamed. “It's a lie! It's impossible! He has promised himself to me!”

Westerham nodded thoughtfully. It was precisely as he had thought.

“What I tell you,” he said, “I believe to be absolutely true.”

Watching her closely, Westerham saw that Mme. Estelle was greatly agitated.

“To-night,” she murmured, more to herself than to him, “to-night it could be proved, if only I had a witness here whom I could trust.”

“Surely,” suggested Westerham, “though we are on opposite sides in this struggle, you can take my word on a matter of this sort.”