With very little apology Madame Estelle entered, and, setting the breakfast down, immediately withdrew.
In half an hour's time she went up for the tray, and then she faced Natalie boldly and looked her in the eyes.
"Mademoiselle," she said, "I am really ashamed to meet you here in such a way. I will not ask you to forgive me, for you will not understand. I can only tell you that I am a very loving and also a very jealous woman."
Madame Estelle paused, and was conscious that Natalie looked at her in great surprise.
"I want," she continued, "to ask you a question which means much to me. Is it, or is not, one of Boris Ivanovitch's conditions that you shall marry him?"
"Yes," answered Natalie, very quietly, "it is."
Madam's rather flushed face grew white, and her eyes blazed with passion. She clenched her fists and beat the air with them.
"Oh, the liar!" she cried, "the liar! Oh! it is hard to be treated like this when I have done so much for him."
"I assure you that you need have no fear so far as I am concerned. Both my brother and myself have refused to comply with that condition, and we shall refuse to the end."
Madame, however, paid but little heed to Natalie; she was beside herself with rage.
"Ah, ah!" she cried, "wait till he returns! I'll kill him! I'll kill him!"
So distorted with fury was the woman's face that Natalie became alarmed for her sanity. She drew near to her and endeavoured to catch her hands in her own, imploring her to be calm.
By-and-by Madame Estelle listened to her, and in a sudden revulsion of feeling fell on her knees, sobbing bitterly.
Natalie bent over her, doing her best to console her, and presently, as the woman grew calmer, she endeavoured to turn the situation to her own advantage.
"The best way to defeat his scheme," she urged, "is to release me."
But at that Madame Estelle leaped to her feet.
"Ah! not that," she cried, "not that! If I distrust him, I distrust you still more. Your pretty face may look sad and sorrowful, and you may declare to me that you will never consent, but I will wait and see. I'll wait until Boris returns and confront you with him. Then perhaps I shall learn the real truth."
Natalie made a little despairing gesture with her hands; argument, she saw, would be useless.