“How? Who has—”
“I ventured to speak to Henriques, the young man at the bureau, before coming up. I know him quite well. I took it on myself to give an order on your behalf.”
“That he wasn’t to be allowed to come up?”
“Yes. I told Henriques to get rid of him.”
“Oh, thank you! Thank you! I’ve been in misery all day thinking at every moment that he might open my door and walk in.”
“They won’t let him up.”
“But they mightn’t happen to see him. If there were many people in the hall he might pass by unnoticed and—”
“In a hotel of this type people don’t pass by unnoticed. You need not be afraid.”
“But I am horribly afraid. I can’t help it. And it’s so dreadful not daring to move. It’s—it’s like living in a nightmare!”
“Come, Miss Van Tuyn!” said Sir Seymour, and in his voice and manner there was just a hint of the old disciplinarian, “pull yourself together. You’re not helpless, and you’ve got friends.”