Annesley's heart faltered.
"You must hide," she breathed. "I must save you—somehow."
"Why should you save me?" Van Vreck asked, sharply. "Why not think about saving yourself?"
"Because I know Knight would wish to save you," she answered. "I want to do what he would do.... God help us, they're coming nearer! Take your bag, and I'll hide you in the cellar. There's a corner there, behind some barrels. If they break in, I'll say——"
"Brave girl! But they won't break in."
"How do you know?"
"Your husband won't let them. Trust him, as I do."
"He's not here. Do you think I told you a lie? Thank Heaven he isn't here, or they'd kill him, and I could never beg him to forgive——" She covered her face with her hands.
The old man looked at her gravely.
"You don't understand what's happening," he said, with a new gentleness. "Don's out there now, defending you and his home. That's what the shooting means. Do you think those brutes would advertise themselves with their guns if they hadn't been attacked?"