"You wish----"
"I wish you to leave me and Gabrielle alone for a quarter of an hour."
The Baroness was hardly able to conceal her mortification. Beyond all doubt she had the first and best right to be present at the coming scene between judge and culprit, and yet the Baron, with that utter disregard for her feelings which he always showed, now sent her away, and reserved to himself alone the important decision, disrespectfully ignoring her maternal claims. If the lady had not cherished so lively a fear of her brother-in-law, she would this time have rebelled against his will; but his tone and general bearing seemed to say that to-day, even less than on other days, would he brook contradiction; so she submitted, or rather, as she expressed it to herself, in anguish of heart she yielded to his cruel tyranny.
The Baron remained alone with Gabrielle, She lingered at the farther end of the room, and he waited in vain for her to approach.
"Gabrielle!"
She advanced now a few steps, but stopped in evident timidity and distrust. Raven went up to her.
"Are you afraid of me?" he asked.
She shook her head negatively.
"Then why do you shrink from me? Why are you so shy and silent? Have I really been so harsh to you that you wish to avoid me?"
"I have really been unwell," replied Gabrielle, in a low voice.