"Raoul, come back!"
She had descended the hail, and had almost reached him as he opened the door to pass out.
"Raoul, I love you!"
But the door closed as, falling against it, she sank to the floor. Before Miss Lucilla and James van Tromp could reach her she was already losing consciousness.
XXVI
"No; stay where you are; I'll go." Derek spoke with the terse command of subdued excitement, almost pushing Diane back, as she, too, attempted to go to Marion's assistance. She sank obediently into one of the great chairs, too dazed even for curiosity as to what was passing in the hail. Derek closed the door behind him, and, though confused sounds of voices and shuffling feet reached her, she gave them but a dulled attention. It was not till he came back that her stunned intelligence revived sufficiently to enable her to think.
He closed the door again, throwing himself wearily into another of the big leathern chairs.
"They've taken her into Lucilla's room. She'll be all right now. It was better that it should end like that."
"I'm not so sure. I'm afraid for him."
"Oh, he'll survive it."