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.