Her
face was white and hard. She laughed a little scornfully before
she answered.
"You bring us together!" she exclaimed. "Do you think that I don't
understand you better than that? I know very well that you are much too
pleased with your position here, and you are afraid that if my father
forgave me and I came back, you would have to go home again. Don't think
that I don't understand."
Virginia walked to the window, and stood there several moments looking
out upon the avenue. Her eyes were quite dry now, and a spot of colour
was burning in her cheeks. The injustice of her cousin's words had
checked the tears, but they had also achieved their purpose. She turned
slowly round.
"Very well, Stella," she said, "I will not interfere with you any more,
but I am going to do exactly what is my duty. Will you leave this
room or not?"
"When I am ready," Stella answered, "not before!"
Virginia crossed the room, meaning to ring the bell. Stella, springing
quickly from her seat, caught her cousin up, and seizing her by the
shoulders, turned her round. Then she calmly locked the door of the room
in which they were, on the inside.
* * * * *
About an hour afterwards, the elder of Phineas Duge's secretaries,
Robert Smedley, entered the bedroom at the top of the house with some
precipitation, and turned a white face towards his master.
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