It was a curious sort of stare, half-amused, half-frowning. I should think it must have lasted while one could count five. Was there a sort of threat in it? Yes! I suppose it meant that he wasn’t going to stand any more of my masquerading impertinences, that somehow he meant to overawe me, to keep the upper hand over me still. But he won’t. Of course it’s rather flurrying to be looked at like that, so hard and unexpectedly.... But I wasn’t really flurried——only a little glad when he opened the door, said “Good night!” and shut it after me.
I was turning towards the haven of the drawing-room when, half-way across the hall, I heard the door of the “den” open again, and the Governor’s step behind me.
“I think you forgot this, didn’t you?” he said, holding out to me the ring I had left lying on the top of the piano.
“Oh, thank you,” I said apologetically. He went back into the den. I slipped my “engagement” ring on to my finger again.
As a matter of fact I hadn’t “forgotten” it.
And he needn’t imagine that he is ever going to have me “quelled” again. I intend taking it out of him all the time I am here!
CHAPTER XIV
THE FIRST QUARREL
So far I have had things all my own way.