"It might have been something you don't know about."
Grown-up and strong, she wanted to comfort Aunt Lavvy and protect her.
"No," Aunt Lavvy said. "It's the house. I knew it would be. She's been trying to get away. She never did that before."
(The doors and the partitions, the nursery and its bars, the big cupboard across the window, to keep her from getting away.)
"Aunt Lavvy, did Mr. Jourdain really call?"
Aunt Lavvy hesitated. "Yes. He called."
"Did he see Aunt Charlotte?"
"She was in the room when he came in, but your uncle took him out at once."
"She didn't talk to him? Did he hear her talking?"
"No, my dear, I'm sure he didn't."