Barbara stared at the man thus addressed. She saw that he was wearing the same clothes as the man who had come down into the cellar with Strangwise but the beard was gone. And the man she saw before her was not Desmond Okewood.
Without waiting to reason out the metamorphosis, she ran towards Bellward.
“They’re murdering those two women down in the cellar,” she cried, “oh, what has happened? Won’t you go down and see?”
Bellward shook her off roughly.
“Neat work!” said Strangwise.
“She’s a wonder with the knife!” agreed the other.
Barbara stamped her foot.
“If neither of you men have the courage to go down,” she cried, “then I’ll go alone! As for you, Captain Strangwise, a British officer...”
She never finished the sentence. Strangwise caught her by the shoulder and thrust the cold barrel of a pistol in her face.
“Stay where you are!” he commanded. “And if you scream I shoot!”