In so doing she stepped upon a small box, which, until then, she had not seen.
The cover was held in place by a narrow rubber band.
She removed it, lifted the lid, and instantly a startled cry burst from her lips.
"Oh, what can it mean? what can it mean?" she exclaimed, losing all her color, and trembling with excitement.
At that moment the hall-bell rang again, and Mona turned once more to the window, now fully expecting to find that Ray had come.
No, another carriage stood before the door, but she could not see who had rung the bell.
She wondered why Ray did not come; it was more than an hour since he went away, and she began to fear that her captor was planning some fresh wrong to her, and he might be detained until it would be too late to help her.
She was growing both anxious and nervous, and thought she would just slip into Mrs. Montague's bedroom and see if she could not get out in that way.
Suiting the action to the resolve, she hastened into the chamber, and tried the door.
No, that was locked on the outside, and she knew that the woman must have some evil purpose in thus making a prisoner of her.