At this moment a knock came at the door, and the servant entered with a frightened look on her face.
"Oh, mum," she said, going quickly to Mrs. Belswin, "there are three gentleman to see you."
"Who are they?" asked Mrs. Belswin, in some surprise, never thinking for a moment of the coming storm.
"Mr. Dombrain, mum, and----"
"Mr. Dombrain," repeated Mrs. Belswin, with a chill of fear at her heart; "what does he want?"
"I want you, Jezebel Manners," said Dombrain, making his appearance at the door, with a malignant grin on his coarse red face.
The moment she heard the name Mrs. Belswin knew it was all over, and with a cry of agony held out her imploring hands to the lawyer.
"Oh, not before her! not before her!" she moaned piteously.
Kaituna, overcome with astonishment at this strange scene, went up to Mrs. Belswin as if to protect her, but the woman shrank from her with a moan of pain, and hid her face in her hands.
"What does this mean?" demanded Maxwell, as soon as he recovered his breath.