"If I had my way I'd cut the heart clean out of her."
She shuddered. Could the reference be to her? The expression of opinion seemingly met with the approbation of its hearers. Another voice became audible--coarse, rough, threatening, and yet, unless Mrs Bankes erred, its proprietor was feminine. Indeed to her it appeared that all the speakers were women.
"That's what I say. Let's make short work of her. No cackle, and no beating about the bush. She's done us, we'll do her--and waste no time about it either!" A third voice followed. "That's right; then let's have her in and get through with it as soon as possible."
The proposition seemed to be approved. Steps were heard approaching the door against which the listener stood. A key was turned. The door was flung open.
"Now then!--in here! and look sharp about it too!"
The words were addressed to Mrs Bankes as if she had been a dog. She shrank back. The command was repeated.
"Do you hear? Out you come! Or have I to fetch you? No nonsense, or it'll be the worse for you!"
As best she could, Mrs Bankes drew herself together.
"You are making some mistake," she said, and went into the other room.
She was conscious that her entry created some emotion which was akin to surprise. There were four women. They all looked at her with something very like astonishment; as if this pretty, graceful girl, every inch of her unmistakably a lady, dressed in such perfect taste, forming altogether such a pleasant picture for the eye to rest upon, was hardly the sort of person they had expected to see. And yet she was conscious that their amazement was not by any means of an agreeable nature; that it did not tend to make their feeling towards her one whit more cordial. On the contrary, in the rapid glances which they exchanged one with the other there was a rancorous gleam which suggested that a fresh element of personal dislike had been generated in their bosoms by the mere sight of her.