"Do you think it would be quite fair to Anna's mother?"
"What do you mean?"
"She has not been consulted, you said."
"No; but Elza is sure——"
"Can anybody be sure?" he broke in quickly. "You know what these people are. A woman like Elza—a splendid woman, I grant you—is very impulsive. She is a heroine, as you say; but doesn't she measure weaker characters by her own standard? She has no right to do that in this case. Charlotte Heves has as much at stake as Elza Imrey. Maurus, I dare say, is not in a fit state to give his opinion; but Anna's mother certainly is; and, honestly, I don't think that it would be fair to confront her with a fait accompli."
Rosemary made no reply for a moment or two, then she deliberately closed the catch of the iron door and rose slowly from her knees.
"Perhaps you are right," she said.
Jasper put out his hand, and as she tried to evade him he clutched at her dress and drew her close to him.
"Don't punish me, little one," he pleaded gently, and tried to look into her eyes, which, however, she kept resolutely downcast. "Don't punish me for not seeing entirely eye to eye with you in this. You would not have me abdicate my freedom of thought, even though I would lie down in the dust, for your dear feet to walk over me."
Rosemary shook her head, but she still kept her head obstinately averted from him.