"Why cannot he speak out?" muttered Dick. "This uncertainty is worse than anything."
"What says the damsel herself," observed Sir Thomas Lake. "Does she admit the charge?"
"You cannot expect her to do that, Sir Thomas," interposed Lord Roos.
"I expect her to answer my question," rejoined the Secretary of State, sharply. "Were you in Lord Roos's room last night?" he added, to Gillian.
"Oh, dear! I am ready to faint," she exclaimed. "Catch me, Dick—catch me!"
"Answer 'yes' or 'no,' or I won't," he rejoined.
"Well, then, 'yes!' if I must say something," she replied.
Poor Dick fell back, as if struck by a shot.
"I don't believe it," cried Sir Thomas.
"Nor I either," said Dick, recovering himself. "I don't believe she could do such a wicked thing. Besides, it was the foreign ambassador, there," he added, pointing to De Gondomar, "who seemed most enamoured of her yesterday; and I shouldn't have been so much surprised if she had gone to see him. Perhaps she did," he continued, addressing the poor damsel, who again hung her head.