"We could have the ceremony here, Eustace, in three weeks' time,
or we could go back to England immediately, for until our niece is
your wife I am sure her aunt and myself will not feel easy about
her."

"Nor I either," Mr. Medlicott returned, and at that moment the
Aunt Caroline entered the room and gradually disclosed the awful
truth she had arrived at from Miss Rawson's admissions.

"That dreadful foreigner must he told at once we refuse to have
any communication with him and Stella shall be kept locked in her
room until we can leave Rome," Mrs. Ebley said sternly. "I could
not have believed my own sister's child could have behaved so
disgracefully."

"Dear, dear," said Canon Ebley, "but we must get at the facts of
when she has been able to see this Russian. It is impossible that
the present state of things could have arisen from merely last
night at the Embassy."

At this stage of the proceedings, it being a public room, Count
Roumovski entered it serenely and, coming toward the group, made a
stiff bow to each in turn.

"I believe you have received my letter, sir," he said, addressing
Canon Ebley, "but, as I have had no reply, I ventured to present
myself without further delay--"

"We do not wish for any communication from you," Eustace Medlicott