His aunt stopped him by a gesture which said, plainly, "I insist on acting for myself." He looked next at Mercy.

Would she remain passive?
Yes.

She never lifted her head; she never moved from the place in which she was standing apart from the rest.

Horace himself tried to attract her attention, and tried in vain.
Arrived at the library door, Lady Janet looked over her shoulder at the little immovable black figure in the chair.
"Will you go ?" she asked, for the last time.
Grace started up angrily from her seat, and fixed her viperish eyes on Mercy.
"I won't be turned out of your ladyship's house in the presence of that impostor," she said.

"I may yield to force, but I will yield to nothing else.