The Prince was quite aware, at this moment, that departure, for himself, was indicated; the question of Miss Stant's installation didn't demand his presence; it was a case for one to go away--if one hadn't a reason for staying.

He had a reason, however--of that he was equally aware; and he had not for a good while done anything more conscious and intentional than not, quickly, to take leave.

His visible insistence--for it came to that--even demanded of him a certain disagreeable effort, the sort of effort he had mostly associated with acting for an idea.

His idea was there, his idea was to find out something, something he wanted much to know, and to find it out not tomorrow, not at some future time, not in short with waiting and wondering, but if possible before quitting the place.

This particular curiosity, moreover, confounded itself a little with the occasion offered him to satisfy Mrs.Assingham's own; he wouldn't have admitted that he was staying to ask a rude question--there was distinctly nothing rude in his having his reasons.