But at Monck's door she paused, constrained by something that checked her almost like a hand laid upon her.

The blood ran up to her temples and beat through her brain.

She found she could not enter.
As she stood there hesitating, Monck's voice came to her, quiet and rational.

She could not hear what he said, but Tommy's more impetuous tones cutting in were clearly audible.
"Oh, rats, my dear fellow! Don't be so damn' modest! You're worth a score of Dacres and you bet she knows it." Stella tingled from head to foot.

In another moment she would have passed swiftly on, but even as the impulse came to her it was frustrated.