"
Could Sue, as she came forward, have seen the gaze which Prince
Frederick bent upon her, her heart might have relented a little toward
him; but she did not see--she had eyes only for her father.
"Now go ahead," said he, when he had his arm safely around her, "and be
careful, sir," he added. "We want the truth, the whole truth, and
nothing but the truth."
"That is what you shall have," said Vernon, and passed his hand across
his forehead.
"It occurs to me," put in Collins, icily, "that the story is not wholly
yours to tell."
"It isn't?" cried Vernon, turning upon him fiercely. "I suppose I'm to
permit myself to remain in this damnable position for the sake of a lot
of third-rate diplomats in our foreign office! They can go hang, for
all I care. I chuck the whole thing! Do you hear? Do you understand? The
whole thing!"
Collins turned away with a shrug of despair. The situation had got
beyond his control.
"It is an explanation which I owe to the Prince of Markeld as well as to
yourself, Mr. Rushford," went on Vernon, more slowly, speaking calmly by
a great effort, "and which I was just about to make to him when you came
in. I am not Lord Vernon--I am merely his younger brother. I bear a
certain resemblance to him, and a lot of paper-diplomats persuaded me to
impersonate him here in order to leave him free to carry out the
negotiations for the succession to Schloshold-Markheim without being
embarrassed by the representations of either side.
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