"Hemming," said he, when his summons was answered, "will you please bring back the statue and the pedestal which I told you to take away the night Mrs. Gaunt returned?"
The man departed, reappearing in a minute, with one of the other servants, and bringing in first a shaft of black marble, and then a dazzling white figure. They set up both pedestal and statue, in the open space in the centre of the bay window recess.
Virginia had seated herself when she heard the mysterious order given. Gaunt remained silent until the servants had left the room.
Then he moved slowly away from the fire.
"Come and look at it," he said.
Virginia rose, much puzzled, and went to him. They stood side by side contemplating the delicate thing. For a while she was at a loss. Then her eye fell upon the inscription which ran around the base of the figure:
Qui que tu sois, voici ton maître!
Then the colour rushed to her face, for she remembered.
"Oh! Where did you get it?"
"I had it made. I thought it would complete the room."