“It is a sign for me, I think.” Addressing Mrs. Belvoir: “Marvel, you must let me take charge now.”
“Why, what do you mean?” demanded the seeress.
“We shall see in a moment.”
Alberta’s firm hand had restrained Crofts from jumping into the corridor to answer the knock himself. Presently Soames sidled into the room with a salver which he presented to Miss Lebetwood. Regarding him closely, I thought he gave her a slanting, snake-like look of mingled fear and malevolence—and yet on the surface his countenance remained perfectly respectful.
“A telegram for you, Miss.”
“Thank you.”
Lib gurgled, “Why, Paula, someone’s had the cheek to open it!”
“I know,” answered Miss Lebetwood, withdrawing two closely-filled sheets from the envelope already slit. “Those were my instructions.”
Crofts asked sharply, “Don’t they know those should be ’phoned here?”
“My directions again,” said the American girl evenly, without glancing up from the sheet in her hand. Her brief, self-possessed words made us realize of a sudden that she had assumed leadership quietly and confidently. “There will be no answer, Soames,” she remarked, and the man slid out shadow-wise.