She affected to be surprised, and a little color trickled into her cheeks. But he took this for one of her woman’s wiles—they were deceivers, all of them.
“Do you mean, sir,” she stammered, “that I am not to see Arthur?”
“You’re neither to see him nor speak to him nor listen to him! There’s to be an end of it. Now, are you going to obey me, girl?”
She looked as if butter would not melt in her mouth. “Yes, sir,” she answered meekly. “I shall obey you if those are your orders.”
He was surprised by the readiness of her assent, and he looked at her suspiciously. “Umph!” he grunted. “That sounds well, and it will be well for you, girl, if you keep to it. For I mean it. Let there be no mistake about that.”
“I shall do as you wish, of course, sir.”
“He’s behaved badly, d—d badly! But if you are sensible I’ll say no more. Only understand me, you’ve got to give him up.”
“Yes, sir.”
“From this day? Now, do you understand?”
“Yes, sir.”