"Release her ladyship, Chalmers," he ordered sternly, "and let me hear the reason of this extraordinary behaviour."
Like a steel spring unloosed Thérèse broke from the butler's grasp and hurled herself against the door.
"Let me out, let me out! Roger, I shall faint, I shall die!"
He looked at her curiously and stood firm as a rock, Chalmers mopped his brow with a handkerchief, still breathing with difficulty. Roger looked from him to Thérèse, who, half-sobbing now, threw herself again at the door, appealing to him desperately:
"I can't bear it, Roger; I can't breathe the same air with this horrible creature! Didn't you see how he had hold of me, how he——"
A glint came into Roger's eye; he held her off with one arm.
"Yes, Thérèse, I saw. Now I intend to know why he did it. Tell me the truth, Chalmers."
The old man, who was recovering his poise, coughed apologetically.
"I know how it must have looked to you, sir, but believe me I had a good reason. Perhaps you can persuade her ladyship to tell you what she was about to do with that bottle of mineral water when I came in and caught her at it."
The cry that burst from Thérèse's lips was like an angry snarl.