"You shall!"
"I will not!"
Ethel's face was corpse-like in its pallor, her black eyes glowed with light.
"Kay!" she called, in a low, menacing voice, and the woman shuddered. At the same time a voice in the locked room called plaintively:
"Ethel! Ethel! darling sister Ethel!"
"That is my sister's voice," cried Ethel wildly. "Woman, your defiance drives me mad! If you do not instantly open that door and release Precious I shall set the mastiff on you. He will tear you limb from limb!"
"I'll murder you first!" growled the woman, edging toward the club on the floor.
"Kay will protect me," the girl answered dauntlessly. "Once more, will you open the door? No? Kay!"
The mastiff, leaping and yelping at the door, turned his head, and the woman's defiance all fled.
"Take him away; let me get at the door, and I'll open it. The key's in my pocket," she growled.