“Sir, I will not be robbed of my child!” And the woman started to her feet, exhibiting not only strong excitement, but a determined spirit.
“Your child has fled from you in fear,” said Mr. Fleetwood, assuming a calmer voice, “and is now, I trust for her sake, entirely beyond your influence. She has made her election, and, so long as she continues in her present mind, will have friends to guide and protect her. And now, madam, let me warn you, in the beginning, against any attempts to annoy this family. Your daughter is not here, and therefore all search for her in this direction will be fruitless. If you come here again you will be handed over to the law. And I am not sure that we shall let you escape as it is. The part you have taken in the concealment of the child stolen from this house makes you an accomplice in the crime,—you and the man Dyer also.”
At the name of Dyer the woman started in surprise, and a shade of alarm came over her pale face.
“Mr. Dyer has nothing to do with the affairs of my house,” she said, quickly.
“He is known to have been a party in this wicked transaction.” Mr. Fleetwood spoke sternly and positively. “And I shall get the police on his track.”
Mrs. Weir manifested still greater disturbance, which encouraged the old gentleman to continue the assault in that direction.
“See to it, then, both of you!” he continued. “Such things are not to be done in the broad day and passed over as of light account. You will all of you find, before you are done with this nefarious business, that you have gone a step too far. Mrs. Jeckyl has escaped us; but some one must answer to outraged justice. Florence!” Mr. Fleetwood turned quickly to Miss Harper and said, “Tell the waiter that I wish to see him,” adding, in a lower key, “it will hardly do to let this woman escape.”
The closing words reached the ears for which they were really intended, and Mrs. Weir, as Florence turned to leave the parlor, moved toward the door leading into the passage.
“Stay,” said Mr. Fleetwood, speaking to Mrs. Weir. “Don’t go yet!”
If he had said “Go,” instead, she could not have shown a greater willingness to depart.