They had not long to wait.
There was a sound of footsteps, hurried and noisy, on the stairs—an impatient, resolute voice uttering a question—then the door was thrown open, and Lord Leycester burst in!
[CHAPTER XXX.]
Leycester looked round for a moment eagerly, then, utterly disregarding Jasper, he hurried across to Stella, who at his entrance had made an involuntary movement towards him, but had then recoiled, and stood with white face and tightly-clasped hands.
"Stella!" he exclaimed, "why are you here? Why did you not come to Waterloo? Why did you send for me?"
She put her hand in his, and looked him in the face—a look so full of anguish and sorrow that he stared at her in amazement.
"It was I who sent for you, my lord," said Jasper, coldly.
Leycester just glanced at him, then returned to the study of Stella's face.
"Why are you here, Stella?"