"Oh, she is here," said the queen, "but you are not to see her."
"Why?"
"Because I have said so. You know my laws."
The old woman looked as if she would like to have struck down the daring young queen. But her clinched fist was hidden in her apron.
"Helka, if they take this house they take you."
"Who is going to take it now?"
"The new tribe. They have sent word. We must give in or they govern."
The new tribe! That might mean more freedom for Helka. But she must be cautious—this old woman was the backbone of all the tribes, and every word she spoke might mean good or evil to all the American gypsies. She was all-powerful, in spite of Helka's pretended power.
"They cannot take my house," said Helka finally. "I have the oath of ownership."
The woman shook her head. All the while her eyes were searching for Cora, and she knew very well that the stolen girl was back of that screen. She wanted to see her, to know what she looked like in daylight; also to know how she was behaving.