She nodded at him. “At three!”
Dropping the tapestry she turned, but very quickly, for again she heard or thought she heard a noise.
Across the room the portières were parting. Through them Barouffski appeared.
“I might have known it,” she told herself, and realising that he had been listening, she realised also that the opportunity was as good as another for making an offer which she had in mind.
These ideas, instantaneous at sight of him, were for the moment stayed. On turning she had seen but the man. Now hastening toward her was a creature with an expression so venomous that instinctively, in search of help, with the idea of calling to Verplank, she turned to the tapestry again.
Quicker than she, he caught and tossed her spinning on the sofa. Then, running to the open window, he shouted from it:
“Emmanuel! The dogs!”
Leilah, falling backward on the lounge, was too stunned to hear. But she steadied herself, recovered, got to her feet and making again for the stair, called at Barouffski:
“Free me from you and you shall have half of what I have.”
“Half!” he repeated. At once he was upon her. “All,” he cried. “I want it all, all of yours and all of his.”