little ashamed of her
malice, and began to wonder who that ideal man could be. Apparently he
was one of the distinguished guests, for he had taken down Lady Caroline
herself. Erica was just too far off to hear what he said, and in another
moment she was suddenly recalled to Mr. Cuthbert. He was talking to the
old gentleman on her left hand, who had been silently surveying her at
intervals as though he fancied she could not be quite human.

"Have you been following this Kellner trial?" asked Mr. Cuthbert.
"Disgraceful affair, isn't it?"

Then followed references to Eric Haeberlein, and veiled hints about his
London friends and associates more dangerous to the country than say
foreigners, "traitors, heady, high-minded," etc., etc. Such evil-doers
always managed to keep within the letter of the law; but, for his part,
he thought they deserved to be shut up, more than most of those who get
penal servitude for life.

Erica's wrath blazed up again. Of course the veiled hints were intended
to refer to her father, and the cruelty and insolence of the speaker
who knew that she understood his allusions scattered all her better
thoughts. It required a strong effort of will to keep her anger and
distress from becoming plainly visible. Her unwillingness to give
Mr. Cuthbert such a gratification could not have strengthened her
sufficiently, but love and loyalty to her father and Eric Haeberlein had
carried her through worse ordeals than this.

She showed no trace of embarrassment, but moved a very little further
back in her chair, implying by a sort of quiet dignity of manner, that
she thought Mr. Cuthbert exceedingly ill-mannered to talk across her.

Feeling that his malicious endeavor had entirely failed, and stung
by her dignified disapproval, Mr. Cuthbert struck out vindictively.
Breaking the silence he had maintained toward her, he suddenly flashed
round upon her with a question.

"I suppose you are intimately acquainted with Eric Haeberlein?"

He tried to make his tone casual and seemingly courteous, but failed.

"What makes you suppose that?" asked Erica, in a cool, quiet voice.

Her perfect self-control, and her exceedingly embarrassing
counter-question, quite took him aback. At that very minute, too,
there was the pause, and the slight movement, and the glance from Lady
Caroline which reminded him that he was the only clergyman present, and
had to return thanks. He bent forward, and went through the usual form
of "