Then he commanded her to take them back and arrange them as they belonged.
She unhesitatingly obeyed, quickly arranging everything in its place, and giving no sign of the precious treasure concealed beneath.
Then she went and stood humbly before him again.
“Now go and get that paper signed by John Loker and bring it to me,” he said, bending all the power of his will to influence her.
She took one step forward, her eyelids quivered, her nostrils dilated, her bosom heaved; then she stopped, staring helplessly at him, while her hands were again locked in a nervous clasp.
“Strange!” he muttered, with a frown.
He then issued several other commands, which she obediently executed, and at last he told her once more to bring that paper, but with the same result as before.
She would not do it. Her love for Earle, and her determination not to yield anything connected with him, seemed to be an instinct stronger than his power over her.
Again and again he tried to gain his point, but without avail, and, with a perplexed and angry look, he muttered:
“It won’t do—my power is not strong enough yet—it will take time; but she says no one knows where the paper is but herself, so I will take care of her. She has hid what I want, and now I’ll hide her. It will be risky business, but there is no other way; if I go away and leave her, some one else will have it to-morrow morning, and then the whole world will know.”