“Let us go and see how it fares with her now; methinks the proud beauty will be somewhat humbled by this time. But, humbled or not, she will have to stay there until after your marriage, for if Mr. Dredmond should find her now, there would be an end to all your fine plans,” said Mrs. Coolidge, moving toward the draped door.
She shoved the heavy bolt, and the two women entered Brownie’s prison.
They found her sitting upon the floor, looking pale and wan.
The light which they bore blinded her eyes at first so that she could scarcely see, but she arose as they entered and stood in haughty silence before them and, holding the precious casket tightly clasped in her hands behind her.
“Well, how do you like your place of retirement? Quiet, isn’t it?” sneered Isabel, while she began to walk about the place as if to examine it.
The insulted girl deigned her no reply.
“Miss Douglas, I have come to make one more appeal to you. Are you willing to accede to my terms?”
“No, madam!”
“Will nothing move you? Cannot I persuade you, under any circumstances, to let Isabel retain those jewels a while longer, and you keep silent about them?”
“You cannot, madam; there is a limit to human endurance, I have reached that limit.”