immediate marriage.

Thereupon she began to scream and scold and John, who acted as master
of ceremonies, escorted her with a patronising smile to the door....

Next came the visits of an old gentleman in a Prince Albert and the
ribbon of some decoration in his button-hole.--John had strict orders
to admit no strangers. But the old gentleman was undaunted. He came
morning, noon and night and finally settled down on the stairs where
Niebeldingk could not avoid meeting him. He was the uncle of Miss
Meta, a former servant of the government and a knight of several
honourable orders. As such it was his duty to demand the immediate
restitution of his niece's honour, else--Niebeldingk simply turned his
back and the knight of several honourable orders trotted, grumbling,
down the stairs.

Up to this point Niebeldingk had striven to regard the whole business
in a humorous light. It now began It now began to promise serious
annoyance. He told the story at his club and the men laughed
boisterously, but no one knew anything to the detriment of Miss Meta.
She had been introduced by a lady who played small parts at a large
theatre and important parts at a small one. The lady was called to
account for her protegee. She refused to speak.

"It's all the fault of those accursed Indian lilies," Niebeldingk
grumbled one afternoon at his window as he watched the knight of
various honourable orders parade the street as undaunted as ever. "Had
I treated her with less delicacy, she would never have risked playing
the part of an innocent victim."