“May!” she panted. “Sister, are you mad?”
“You’ll make me in a moment,” cried Sir Harry. “Curse you! Why do you interfere?”
“May!” cried Claire again. “For pity’s sake—for the sake of your husband, do not do this wicked thing. Come back with me; come back. No one shall know. Sister, dear sister, before it is too late.”
“Nay, it is too late,” whispered Sir Harry. “Choose; will you go back to misery and disgrace?”
At the edge of the wood the scene was just visible, but the words were inaudible. Burnett had not at first recognised his wife; but Claire’s voice rang out clear, and with a sneer he turned to Richard Linnell:
“There!” he said. “What did I say? What are you going to do now?”
“Try and save your foolish wife, idiot, if you are not man enough to interfere.”
He sprang out of the wood as he spoke, but ere he could reach the group, Sir Harry Payne, by a brutal exercise of his strength, swung Claire away from her sister; and as she staggered on the turf she would have fallen but for the quick way in which Richard Linnell caught her in his arms.
She clung to him wildly, as she strove to recover herself.
“Help! Mr Linnell! Quick! my sister!” she panted, as Sir Harry Payne hurriedly threw open the door of the chaise.