“The Rampallo belongs to Captain Gompez, and I passed last night on board her.”
She sat bolt upright and stared at me, every muscle and nerve strained and set, her face as white as her lace and the pupils of her weird eyes dilated with sudden fear and wonder. For several seconds she was unable to utter a word, as she realized all that must lie behind my words.
“You will now, perhaps, deem it prudent not to refuse any longer to bring Mademoiselle Dominguez here to me,” I said very meaningly.
She lowered her head with a deep sigh and sat thinking, then rose with a little shiver of fear. “I will fetch her,” she murmured and went out of the room.
I breathed a sigh of satisfaction at my victory. It was a telling proof of the strength of my hold over her and all who were leagued with her in this persecution of Miralda.
I had to wait about a quarter of an hour before she returned, bringing Miralda, who was pale and worn and nervous.
Inez did not enter the room, but closed the door, leaving us alone, as I took Miralda’s hand.
“Oh, why have you come here, Mr. Donnington?”
“To take you away. I have come straight here from your mother and am going to take you back to her.”
“I—I cannot go,” she replied, shaking her head.