A scream of pain from the child caused her to desist. With a groan she covered her face for a moment, then looked piteously towards her mistress, saying with quivering lips:
"They done torture my pore chil'. See, Missus, that bleeding han'?"
"Torture the child!" exclaimed Hester with dilating eyes.
"Yes, Missus, butler poking fingers with sticks making plenty blood come to make me 'fess," said Rosie, looking up with a pitiful air.
"How dreadful! This is shocking, Mrs. Harbottle! What have you to say to this?"
"A parcel of lies, of course! Nobody laid a finger on the little wretch," cried Mrs. Harbottle excitedly.
The ayah on hearing this stepped forward again, and leading Rosie near pointed silently to the mutilated hand.
"Who did this to you, Rosie?" asked Hester in gentle tones.
"Ramaswamy butler. He do this to make me 'fess—only——"
Great tears rolled down her cheeks as she glanced up to Hester's pitying face.