‘Consider!’ said Paula, with indignation. ‘I have considered. Will you kindly ring, Sir William, and get Thomas to ride at once to Mr. Haze? Or must I rise from this chair and do it myself?’
‘You are very hasty and abrupt this morning, I think,’ he faltered.
Paula rose determinedly from the chair. ‘Since you won’t do it, I must,’ she said.
‘No, dearest!—Let me beg you not to!’
‘Sir William De Stancy!’
She moved towards the bell-pull; but he stepped before and intercepted her.
‘You must not ring the bell for that purpose,’ he said with husky deliberateness, looking into the depths of her face.
‘It wants two hours to the time when you might have a right to express such a command as that,’ she said haughtily.
‘I certainly have not the honour to be your husband yet,’ he sadly replied, ‘but surely you can listen? There exist reasons against giving this boy in charge which I could easily get you to admit by explanation; but I would rather, without explanation, have you take my word, when I say that by doing so you are striking a blow against both yourself and me.’
Paula, however, had rung the bell.