Barbara stopped her sobs and stared at him for a moment in astonishment. Then she suddenly turned on him furiously.
"You will not? You will not?" she cried. "Then have your way. See what lies concealed."
She pressed a small button cunningly hidden amid the carving of the frame, and the portrait slipped back, revealing a large recess in the wall, deep enough to hold three men.
The recess was empty.
The two men stared at each other in utter astonishment, but Barbara flung herself into a chair, clapped her hands, and burst into a paroxysm of laughter.
"Fooled! Fooled!" she cried, pointing at them mockingly. "Was ever man, since the days of Adam, so bravely fooled. Oh! I shall die of laughter," and again the room rang with her merriment.
Captain Protheroe turned to her grimly.
"Pardon my dulness, madame," he said harshly, "and be so kind as to explain what this means."
"Means! Why, marry, it means that I have spoken truly. Rupert is not here, moreover, he never has been. Have I not said so throughout."
"Not here? Impossible! Then these tremblings, entreaties, tears were all——"