"Mamma! Mamma!" she cried. "I knew it! The door is locked."
Mrs. Merriman rose immediately.
"Nonsense, my dear! He would not dare do such a thing!"
But the door did not yield to her hand, though she pulled and shook it violently.
"The insolent villain!" she exclaimed.
She had plenty of courage, and if her voice shook, it was with anger, not fear. She went to the window opening on the veranda, loosed the bars, and looked out.
"We can get out here," she said. "We will walk instantly to Chandernagore, and demand assistance from the governor."
But the next moment she shrank back into the room. Two armed peons stood in the veranda, one on each side of the window. Recovering herself, Mrs. Merriman went to the window again.
"They will not dare to stop us," she said.
"Let me pass, you men; I will not be kept here."