But she never would, or did.

There was reason to suspect that she would make an attempt upon her life.

A watch was set upon her night and day; and from that time she never spoke again--' Sir John stretched out his hand towards his cup.

The locksmith going on, arrested it half-way.
-- 'Until she had but a minute to live.

Then she broke silence, and said, in a low firm voice which no one heard but this executioner, for all other living creatures had retired and left her to her fate, "If I had a dagger within these fingers and he was within my reach, I would strike him dead before me, even now!" The man asked "Who ?" She said, "The father of her boy."' Sir John drew back his outstretched hand, and seeing that the locksmith paused, signed to him with easy politeness and without any new appearance of emotion, to proceed.
'It was the first word she had ever spoken, from which it could be understood that she had any relative on earth.