She might verily, by this dumb demonstration, have been naming to Maggie the price, naming it as a question for Maggie herself, a sum of money that she, properly, was to find.

She must remain safe and Maggie must pay--what she was to pay with being her own affair.
Straighter than ever, thus, the Princess again felt it all put upon her, and there was a minute, just a supreme instant, during which there burned in her a wild wish that her father would only look up.

It throbbed for these seconds as a yearning appeal to him--she would chance it, that is, if he would but just raise his eyes and catch them, across the larger space, standing in the outer dark together.

Then he might be affected by the sight, taking them as they were; he might make some sign--she scarce knew what--that would save her; save her from being the one, this way, to pay all.

He might somehow show a preference-- distinguishing between them; might, out of pity for her, signal to her that this extremity of her effort for him was more than he asked.